"m  ^ 


<'^'-- 

^V.^  ^ 


M:./^ 


-,-  .*«fi':>    -*► 


•  r^^ 


COLLECTION   OF   FOREIGN  AUTHORS, 
No.    XII. 


IN     PARADISE. 

VOL.  I. 


IN 


PAEADISE 


A   NOVEL 


FROM   THK   GERUAN   OF 


PAUL     HEYSE 


VOL.  I 


NEW  YORK 
D.   APPLETON    AND    COMPANY 

1,  8,  AND    5    BOND    STREET. 
1891. 


5,.*j^  It  has  teen  decided  to  omit  from,  this  translation 
the  poems  which  are  scattered  through  the  novel  in  the 
German,  A  few  trifling  changes  in  certain  passages 
have  teen  m.ade  necessary  by  this  omission;  and  the 
translator  has  in  two  or  three  cases  very  slightly  con- 
densed the  text. 


COPYRIGHT  BY 
D.  APPLETON   AND    COMPANY, 

18V8. 


IN   PARADISE. 


BOOK  I. 


CHAPTER    I. 

It  was  a  Sunday  in  the  midsummer  of  1869. 

The  air,  cleared  by  a  thunderstorm  the  night  before, 
was  still  tremulous  with  that  soft,  invigorating  warmth 
which,  farther  south,  makes  breathing  such  an  easy  mat- 
ter, but  which,  north  of  the  Alps,  seldom  outlasts  the 
early  morning.  And  yet  the  bells,  that  sounded  from  the 
Munich  Frauenkirche  far  across  the  Theresienwiese,  and 
the  field  where  stands  the  great  statue  of  Bavaria,  were 
already  ringing  for  high  mass.  Here,  outside  the  city, 
there  seemed  to  be  no  human  ear  to  listen.  The  great 
bronze  maiden  stood  there  in  the  deepest  solitude,  hold- 
ing her  wreath  above  her  head,  and  with  a  mazed  and 
dreamy  look,  as  though  she  might  be  thinking  whether 
this  were  not  an  opportune  moment  to  step  down  from 
her  granite  pedestal,  and  to  wander  at  will  through  the 
town,  that  to-day  raised  its  towers  and  roofs  like  a  city  of 
the  dead  above  the  bare  green  plain.  Now  and  then  a 
bird  flew  out  of  the  little  grove  behind  the  Ruhmes-halle, 
and  fluttered  about  the  shoulders  of  the  giant  maiden,  or 
rested  for  a  moment  on  the  mane  of  the  lion  that  sat 


6  7.V    PARADISE. 

lazily  listening,  pressed  close  to  the  knee  of  his  great 
mistress.  But  away  in  the  city  the  bells  rang  on.  The 
air  grew  drowsy  with  the  steadily  increasing  heat,  Avith 
the  hum  and  the  vibration  of  the  distant  ringing,  and 
the  strong  fragrance  that  rose  from  the  meadow,  which 
had  been  mown  the  day  before.  At  last  the  bells  ceased  ; 
and  now  not  a  sound  was  to  be  heard,  save  that  there 
came  from  a  house  in  one  of  the  outer  streets  the  sound 
of  a  flute,  played  by  fits  and  starts,  as  though  the  player 
stopped  for  breath  between  the  passages;,  or  as  though  he 
forgot  his  notes  in  other  thoughts. 

The  window,  from  which  this  singular  music  sounded 
into  the  summer  air,  opened  from  the  upj^er  story  of  a 
house  that  stood  some  distance  back  from  the  street — a 
house  of  a  kind  of  which  there  are  many  in  this  western 
suburb.  They  are  generally  entirely  unornamented,  box- 
like buildings,  windowless  except  on  the  northern  side, 
and  there  pierced  by  great  quadrangular  openings,  sup- 
plied ■wdth  all  manner  of  arrangements  for  admitting  the 
steadiest  possible  light  from  above.  In  summer  one  never 
sees  above  them  the  little  cloud  of  smoke  that  betrays  a 
domestic  hearth,  and  no  profane  smell  of  cooking  meets 
the  visitor  upon  the  threshold — as  in  most  other  Munich 
houses.  From  the  open  windows  floats  only  a  light,  invis- 
ible odor  of  tobacco-smoke,  agreeably  mingled  with  the 
invigorating  fragrance  of  varnishes,  oils,  and  turpentine 
— which  shows  that  here  only  the  holy  fire  of  art  is  fed, 
and  that  here,  upon  silent  altars  (three-legged  easels  and 
sculptors'  pedestals)  are  ofl^ered  sacrifices  that  cannot  even 
shelter  the  priests  that  offer  them  from  the  pangs  of  hun- 
ger. 

The  house  of  which  we  speak  turned  its  windowless 
Bouthem  side  toward  a  little  yard,  in  which  lay  scattered 


JN    PARADISE.  7 

marble  and  sandstone  blocks  of  different  sizes.  The  four 
stndio-windows  of  the  northern  side  looked  into  a  careful- 
ly-tended, narrow  garden,  that  sheltered  them  from  all 
disagreeable  reflected  lights.  Around  a  little,  slender, 
drowsily-splashing  fountain  in  the  middle  bloomed  a  glo- 
rious wealth  of  roses  ;  and  the  neighboring  flower-beds, 
filled  with  all  kinds  of  garden-stuft",  were  enclosed  in  thick 
borders  of  mignonette.  Here  the  smell  of  oil  and  tur- 
pentine just  referred  to  could  not  penetrate,  especially  as 
only  the  two  upper  studios  were  those  of  painters  ;  while 
in  the  lower  story,  as  could  be  seen  by  the  blocks  of  stone 
in  the  yard,  a  sculptor  carried  on  his  art. 

Artists — enjoying,  as  they  do,  a  perpetual  holiday 
mood  over  their  work — are  not  wont  to  be  supporters  of 
a  regular  celebration  of  the  Sabbath.  Those  who  are  so 
must  be  such  as  in  the  course  of  years  have  come  to  devote 
themselves — as  not  a  few  do  in  a  so-called  "  art-city  " — to 
the  mere  business-like  manufacture  of  pictures  for  "  art- 
clubs,"  or  of  parlor  statuettes  ;  and  so  are  privileged  to 
take  their  rest  on  the  seventh  day,  among  the  other  cus- 
toms of  solid  citizens.  They,  "  thank  God,  no  longer  feel 
obliged  "  to  be  industrious,  and  to  work  even  on  a  holiday. 

But  the  dwellers  in  this  little  house  were  not  of  such 
a  type. 

On  the  ground-floor  all  possible  panes  in  the  windows 
had  been  opened,  to  let  as  much  as  possible  of  the  glowing 
air  stream  into  the  sunless  room  ;  and  perhaps,  too,  to 
tempt  in  the  fragrance  of  the  flowers,  or  the  notes  of  the 
flute  that  sounded  from  the  window  overhead.  A  flock 
of  sparrows,  that  seemed  accustomed  to  make  themselves 
at  home  in  the  place,  availed  themselves  of  the  oppor- 
tunity to  whirr  in  and  out  of  the  garden,  to  flutter,  chat- 
tering and  scolding,  about  among  the  ivy- vines  with  which 


8  IN   PARADISE. 

one  wall  of  the  studio  was  thickly  covered,  and  to  hunt 
through  every  comer  for  neglected  crusts  of  bread.  With 
all  this,  however,  they  seemed  well-bred  enough  to  make 
no  other  trouble  but  their  noise — though  the  busts  and 
clay  models,  that  stood  about  the  room  on  boards  and  scaf- 
foldings, showed  many  traces  of  their  visits.  On  the 
damp  cloth,  in  which  a  large  group  that  stood  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  great  room  was  carefully  wrapped,  in  order  to 
keep  the  fresh  clay  from  drying,  sat  an  old  and  rather 
decrepit-looking  sparrow,  who  still  looked  about  him  with 
an  air  of  considerable  dignity — evidently  the  chief  of  this 
wild  army,  to  whom  the  pleasant  coolness  of  his  seat 
seemed  to  make  it  an  agreeable  one.  He  took  no  part  in 
the  fluttering  and  chatter  of  the  younger  company,  but 
fixed  his  attention  with  critical  gravity  upon  the  artist 
in  the  gray  blouse,  who  had  moved  his  modeling-table 
close  to  the  window,  and  was  busy  in  finishing  from  a 
living  model  the  statue  of  a  dancing  Bacchante. 

The  model  was  a  young  girl,  hardly  eighteen  years 
old,  who  stood  on  a  little  platform  opposite  the  sculptor, 
and,  with  her  arms  thrown  up  and  backward,  held  fast  by 
a  rod  that  hung  from  the  ceiling— for  the  statue  held  a 
tambourine  in  the  hands  flung  upward  with  such  abandon, 
and  the  pose  was  none  of  the  most  comfortable.  Still,  the 
girl  had  borne  it  a  good  half  hour  already  without  complain- 
ing or  asking  for  a  rest.  Although  she  had  to  hold  her  head 
far  back,  with  its  loosened  auburn  hair  that  fell  below  her 
waist,  yet  she  followed  with  intense  curiosity — her  little 
eyes  almost  closed  the  while,  so  that  the  long  golden-blond 
lashes  lay  upon  her  cheeks — every  movement  of  the  artist, 
every  one  of  his  critical  and  comparing  glances.  It 
seemed  to  flatter  her  beyond  measure  that  her  youthful 
beauty  should  be  the  subject  of  such  conscientious  study  ; 


IN    PARADISE.  9 

and  in  this  satisfaction  to  her  vanity  she  forgot  fatigue. 
And  indeed  she  was  of  unusually  slender  and  graceful 
form  ;  and  from  the  rough  brown  calico  dress  that  was 
tightly  fastened  about  her  waist  there  sprung,  like  a  fair 
flower  from  a  coarse  husk,  a  girlish  figure  of  as  perfect 
whiteness  and  delicacy  as  though  the  poor  child  had  no 
other  occupation  but  to  care  for  her  complexion.  Her 
face  was  not  exactly  beautiful ;  a  rather  flat  nose  with 
broad  nostrils  projected  above  the  large,  half -opened 
mouth.  But  in  the  ill-formed  jaws,  that  gave  to  the  face 
something  wild  and  almost  like  an  animal,  shone  perfect 
and  beautiful  teeth  ;  and  a  merry,  innocent,  childlike 
smile  enlivened  the  full  lips  and  the  otherwise  rather  ex- 
pressionless eyes.  The  complexion  of  her  face,  too,  was 
of  a  brilliant,  transparent  white,  spotted  here  and  there  by 
a  few  little  freckles,  of  which  there  were  two  or  three  also 
on  her  neck  and  breast.  It  was  comical  to  see  how  she 
herself  shared  in  the  study  of  her  owti  beauty,  as  she  found 
such  serious  attention  given  to  it  by  another  ;  and,  as  she 
saw  her  girlish  self  treated  with  such  respect,  she  seemed 
to  forget  eveiy  trace  of  anything  like  coquetry,  such  as 
might  otherwise  have  entered  into  the  matter. 

"  You  must  be  tired,  Zenz,"  said  the  sculptor.  "  Don't 
you  want  to  rest  awhile  ?  " 

She  shook  her  auburn  hair  with  a  laugh.  "  It  is  so 
cool  here,"  she  answered  without  stirring.  "You  don't 
feel  your  own  weight  at  all  in  the  open  air  like  this — and 
besides,  there's  the  sweet  smell  of  the  mignonette  in  the 
garden.     I  believe  I  could  stand  this  way  till  night." 

"  So  much  the  better.  I  was  just  going  to  ask  you  if 
you  were  not  cold,  and  didn't  want  a  shawl  over  your 
shoulders.  I  don't  need  them  now  ;  I  am  just  doing  the 
arms." 


10  IN    PARADISE. 

He  went  seriously  and  quietly  on  with  his  work.  In  his 
plain  face,  framed  in  smooth  blond  hair  streaked  with 
gray,  the  only  features  that  struck  one  at  first  glance  were 
the  eyes,  that  shone  with  an  unusual  force  and  fire.  When 
he  fixed  them  upon  a  certain  point,  it  seemed  as  though 
they  took  complete  possession  of  what  they  saw,  and  made 
themselves  completely  master  of  it.  And  yet  there  could 
be  nothing  more  quiet  or  less  inquiring  in  expression  than 
these  same  eyes. 

"  Who  is  that  playing  the  flute  up  stairs  ?  "  asked  the 
girl.  "  The  first  time  I  was  here,  a  week  ago  to-day,  it 
was  perfectly  still  up  there  ;  but  to-day  it  goes  tramp, 
tramp,  every  few  minutes,  and  somebody  plays,  and  then 
it  stops  again  for  a  little  while." 

"  A  friend  of  mine  has  his  studio  just  over  us,"  an- 
swered the  sculptor  ;  "  a  battle-painter,  Herr  Rosenbusch. 
If  he  can't  make  his  work  go  to  please  him,  he  takes  up 
his  flute  and  walks  up  and  doTVTi  like  that,  and  plays,  and 
buries  himself  in  thought.  And  then  he  stops  in  front  of 
his  easel  and  looks  at  his  picture  ;  and  so  goes  on  until  he 
hits  upon  Avhat  he  is  after.  But  what  are  you  laughing 
at,  Zenz  ?  " 

*'  Only  at  his  name.  Rosenbusch  !  *  And  paints  bat- 
tles ! — Is  he  a  Jew  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  so.  But  now  if  you  want  to  rest  a  lit- 
tle while — your  neck  must  be  perfectly  stiff  by  this  time." 

She  let  go  the  rod  at  once,  and  sprang  down  from  the 
bench.  WTiile  he  was  polishing  with  his  modeling-tool 
the  portion  he  had  just  finished,  she  stood  close  by  him, 
her  arms  crossed  behind  her  with  a  lightness  peculiar  to 
her  figure,  and  looked  closely  at  the  beautiful  statue,  which 

'  Rosebush. 


IN    PARADISE.  11 

withm  the  last  hour  had  made  such  obvious  progress. 
But  only  in  the  upper  half  ;  for  the  active  hips  and  limbs 
of  the  dancer,  only  hidden  by  her  long,  flowing  hair,  were 
only  very  roughly  outlined. 

"  Are  you  satisfied,  child  ?  "  asked  the  artist.  "  But 
then  I  can  only,  at  the  best,  work  it  out  in  marble  for  you, 
and  you  are  really  a  better  bit  for  a  painter.  That  snow- 
white  skin  and  flaming  mane  of  youi's — if  you  had  lived 
two  thousand  years  ago,  when  they  made  statues  of 
gold  and  ivory,  you  would  have  been  just  in  your  proper 
place." 

"  Gold  and  ivory  ?  "  she  repeated,  thoughtfully.  "  Those 
must  have  been  rich  people  !  However,  I  am  satisfied  for 
my  part  with  the  beautiful  white  marble — like  the  young 
gentleman  there  behind,  that  you  didn't  finish." 

"  Do  you  like  him  ?  It  was  a  long  while  ago  that  I 
began  that  bust.  Isn't  it  fine,  how  the  small,  finn,  round 
head  springs  from  the  broad  shoulders  ?  It's  a  pity  that 
I  only  sketched  out  the  face  ;  you  would  have  liked  that 
too." 

"  Are  you  going  to  make  my  portrait  too,  there  in  the 
clay  ?  I  mean,  so  that  it  will  be  just  like  me — so  that  my 
friends  will  say  at  once  '  That  is  Red  Zenz  ? '  " 

"  That  depends.  I  could  use  your  little  nose  and  your 
small,  sharp-cut  ears  well  enough.  But  you  know,  child, 
I  had  quite  another  wish  ;  and,  if  you  will  fulfill  that,  I'll 
make  the  face  so  that  no  human  being  will  ever  dream  that 
Red  Zenz  was  my  model.  Have  you  thought  it  over — 
what  I  asked  you  a  week  ago  ?  " 

He  did  not  look  at  her  as  he  spoke,  but  kept  on  dili- 
gently smoothing  and  kneading  the  soft  clay. 

She  made  as  though  she  had  not  heard  his  question, 
and  turned  on  her  heel,  wrapping  her  thick  hair  about  her 


12  IN    PARADISE. 

like  a  cloak,  and  went  over  to  a  comer  of  the  studio, 
■where  a  great  black  Newfoundland  dog,  with  a  white 
breast,  was  lying  on  a  straw  mat  with  his  head  between 
his  fore  paws,  and  growling  lightly  in  his  sleep.  The  girl 
bent  down  to  him  and  began  to  scratch  his  head  softly — 
of  which  he  took  no  other  notice  than  an  instant's  opening 
of  his  eyes,  dim  with  old  age. 

"  He  isn't  very  gallant,"  said  the  girl,  laughing.  "  One 
of  my  girl  friends  has  a  little  terrier,  and  when  I  stroke 
him  he  is  perfectly  wild  with  joy,  and  I  have  to  look  out 
that  he  doesn't  lick  my  face  and  neck  and  hands  all  over 
with  his  little  pink  tongue.  But  this  fellow  is  as  reverend 
as  a  grandfather.     What  is  his  name  ?  " 

"  Homo." 

"  Homo  ?   What  a  queer  name  !   What  does  it  mean  ?  " 

"  It  is  Latin,  and  means  '  man.'  Years  ago  the  old  boy 
showed  so  much  human  reason,  just  as  his  master  seemed 
on  the  point  of  losing  his  head,  that  it  was  decided  to  re- 
christen  him.  Since  then  he  has  never  brought  shame  upon 
his  name.  So  you  see,  child,  in  what  good  company  you 
are.  If  I  am  hardly  as  old  as  a  grandfather  yet,  I  am 
almost  old  enough  to  be  your  father.  And  I  thought 
these  two  sittings  would  have  convinced  you  that  you 
were  perfectly  safe  with  me — that  I  shall  faithfully  keep 
what  I  promised  you.     And  that  is  the  reason — " 

"  No,  no,  no,  no  !  "  cried  she,  jumping  suddenly  up 
and  whirling  around,  and  shaking  her  head  so  violently 
that  her  hair  flew  about  her  like  a  wheel  of  fire.  "  What 
makes  you  speak  of  that  again,  Herr  Jansen  ?  You  take 
me  for  a  silly,  thoughtless  kind  of  girl,  no  doubt — and 
think  that  in  time  I  shan't  be  able  to  refuse  you  anything. 
But  you  are  very  much  mistaken.  It  is  tiHie,  I  don't  mind 
doing  some  foolish  things  ;  and  standing  about  for  you 


IN   PARADISE.  13 

here  Kke  this  doesn't  seem  to  me  anything  wrong  or  dis 
graceful.  Why,  at  a  ball  last  winter  where  we  had  made 
up  the  flowers,  and  so  they  let  us  look  in  through  the 
dressing-room,  the  fine  ladies  appeared  before  gentlemen 
in  a  very  different  way  from  the  way  I  am  standing  and 
walking  about  here  ;  and  there  were  a  great  many  officers 
there — not  even  artists,  like  you,  that  only  look  artistically 
at  a  bare  neck  and  shoulders.  But,  if  I  wiU  do  that  for 
you,  you  mustn't  ask  anything  more.  It  is  true,  my  friend, 
when  I  told  her,  did  not  think  anything  of  it — and  she 
could  come  with  me.  But  that  is  decided — it  would  make 
me  so  that  I  never  could  look  anybody  straight  in  the  face 
again.     No — ^no — no  !     I  will  not  do  it — ^now  or  ever  !  " 

"  You  are  right,  child,"  interrupted  the  sculptor,  break- 
ing in  on  her  excited  words  and,  suddenly  changing  the 
form  of  his  speech  into  the  more  familiar  "  thou."  "  No- 
body need  know  of  it,  and,  if  it  is  disagreeable  to  you,  I 
will  not  speak  of  it  again.  And  yet — it's  a  pity  !  I  could 
make  the  figure  from  a  single  mould,  so  to  speak  ;  and  in 
half  the  time  that  I  shall  have  to  spend  now  in  looking 
about  for  something  that  will  suit." 

She  made  no  answer,  but  of  her  own  accord  mounted 
upon  the  bench,  and  leaned  back  again,  hanging  from  the 
rod. 

"  Is  that  right  ?  "  she  asked.  "  Am  I  standing  just  as 
I  did  before  ?  " 

He  only  nodded,  without  looking  up  at  her. 

"  What  makes  you  cross  with  me  ?  "  she  asked,  after  a 
while.  "  I  cannot  help  it  because  I  am  not  like  my  friend. 
To  be  sure,  she  has  had  a  great  deal  more  experience  than 
I.     And  then  she  has  been  in  love  more  than  once." 

"  Have  you  never  had  a  sweetheart,  Zenz  ?  " 

"  No  ;  a  real  sweetheart,  such  as  one  would  go  through 


14  IN    PARADISE. 

the  fire  for — never  !  My  red  hair  didn't  have  very 
good  fortune  out  in  Salzburg,  where  I  have  generally 
lived.  And,  besides,  I  was  too  ugly.  One  of  them  said 
I  had  a  dog's  face.  It  has  only  been  within  the  last  year, 
when  I  have  suddenly  shot  up  a  little,  and  grown  a  little 
stouter,  that  the  gentlemen  have  sometimes  run  after  me  ; 
and  with  one  of  them — a  right  nice  young  fellow — I  had 
a  kind  of  a  flirtation.  But  he  was  so  silly  that  he  tired 
me  ;  and  so  it  hadn't  gone  far  between  us  when  one  fine 
day  he  fell  sick  and  died.  And  it  was  only  then  that  I 
found  I  couldn't  have  loved  him  so  very,  very  much  ;  for 
I  didn't  even  cry  about  him.  Since  then  I  have  taken 
good  care  not  to  make  a  fool  of  myself  again.  Men  are 
bad  ;  everybody  says  that  that  knows  anything.  As  for 
me,  if  I  liked  one — if  I  really  liked  him,  *  von  Herzen, 
mit  Schmerzen  ' — " 

"  Well,  Zenz,  what  would  you  do  ?  " 

She  was  silent  for  a  moment,  and  then  suddenly  let 
her  arms  fall  close  by  her  sides.  It  seemed  as  though  a 
chill  ran  over  her  soft  skin  ;  she  shook  herself,  and 
shrugged  her  white  shoulders. 

"  ^Vliat  would  I  do  ?  "  she  repeated,  as  though  to  her- 
self. "  Everything  he  wanted  !  And  so  it  is  better  as  it 
is — much  better." 

"  You  are  a  good  girl,  Zenz,"  he  muttered,  nodding 
his  head  slowly.  "  Come,  there  is  my  hand  ;  shake  hands, 
and  I  promise  you  now  that  there  never  shall  be  a  word 
again  between  us  of  what  you  are  not  willing  to  hear." 


IN    PARADISE.  15 


CHAPTER   II. 

She  was  just  about  to  lay  her  round,  wliite  little  hand 
in  his,  which  was  rough  and  muddy  from  kneading  the 
clay,  when  a  knock  at  the  door  caused  them  both  to  look 
up  and  listen. 

The  janitor  called  out  through  the  key -hole  that  a 
strange  gentleman  wished  to  speak  with  Plerr  Jansen. 
When  he  heard  that  the  sculptor  had  a  model  sitting  to 
him  at  the  moment,  he  had  asked  the  janitor  to  take  in 
his  card.  Vf  ith  this  the  janitor  pushed  the  card  through 
a  narrow  hole  in  the  door  made  for  the  purpose. 

The  sculptor,  grumbling,  went  toward  the  threshold 
and  picked  up  the  card.  "  Felix,  FreDierr  von  Weiblin- 
gen."  He  shook  his  head  thoughtfully.  Suddenly  he  ut- 
tered an  exclamation  of  joy.  Under  the  printed  name 
was  written,  with  a  pencil,  "  Icarus." 

"  A  good  friend  of  yours  ?  "  queried  the  girl. 

He  made  no  answer,  but  threw  down  his  modeling- 
tool  hastily,  hurriedly  wiped  his  hands  on  a  towel,  and 
hastened  to  the  door  again.  As  he  opened  it,  he  turned 
around. 

"  Stay  here,  Zenz,"  he  said.  "  Amuse  yom-self  for 
a  while  ;  there  is  a  book  of  pictures  ;  and,  if  you  should 
be  hungry,  you  will  find  something  in  the  cupboard.  I 
will  lock  the  door  behind  me." 

In  the  hall  outside  there  was  no  one  but  the  janitor, 
with  his  bent,  long-shaped  head,  that  looked  very  much 
like  the  head  of  a  horse,  especially  when  he  spoke  ;  then 
he  moved  his  under-jaw,  as  though  he  had  a  bit  between 
his  great,  yellow  teeth. 


16  IN   PARADISE. 

He  was  a  most  serviceable  old  fellow,  who  had  grown 
gray  in  the  sei'viee  of  art,  and  had  a  more  delicate  judg- 
ment than  many  a  professor.  He  was  a  thorough  expert 
in  preparing  a  canvas  ;  and  occupied  his  leisure  in  study- 
ing the  chemistry  of  colors. 

"  Where  are  the  gentlemen,  Fridolin  ? "  asked  the 
sculptor, 

"  There  is  only  one.  He  is  walking  in  the  yard.  A 
very  handsome  young  gentleman.  You  can  see  in  his  face 
the  look  of  the  '  Baron '  that  is  on  his  card.     He  said — " 

But  the  sculptor  had  hurried  by  him,  and  had  rushed 
down  the  steps  that  led  into  the  yard.  "  Felix  !  "  he  cried, 
"  is  it  you  or  your  ghost  ?  " 

"  I  am  inclined  to  think  it  is  both,  and  a  heart  in  addi- 
tion," replied  the  person  addressed,  grasping  the  hand 
that  the  sculptor  held  out  to  him.  "  Come,  old  fellow,  I 
can't  see  why  we  should  be  ashamed  to  fall  on  each  other's 
necks,  here  under  God's  free  heaven.  I  have  had  to  get 
on  for  years  without  my  best  and  dearest  old  Daedalus — " 

He  did  not  finish  his  sentence.  The  sculptor  had 
pressed  him  so  heartily  to  his  breast  that  it  fairly  took 
away  his  breath. 

Then  suddenly  he  loosened  his  grasp,  and,  stepping 
back  a  pace,  cast  a  critical  glance  over  the  slight  figui'e  of 
his  friend. 

"  Still  just  the  same,"  he  said,  as  though  to  himself  ; 
"but  we  must  get  those  Samson-like  locks  under  the 
shears.  You  don't  know  your  strongest  point,  my  dear 
boy,  when  you  bury  your  round  head  in  such  a  thicket. 
And  your  full  beard  must  come  off.  However,  all  that 
will  come  with  time.  Tell  me  what  has  conjured  you 
forth  out  of  your  primeval  forests  into  our  tame  art- 
city?" 


IN    PARADISE.  17 

He  grasped  the  young  man's  arm,  and  led  him  around 
the  house  into  the  little  garden.  Both  were  silent,  and 
seemed  to  avoid  looking  at  one  another,  as  though  they 
had  begun  to  feel  ashamed  of  the  extravagant  affection 
with  which  they  had  marked  their  reunion. 

At  the  extreme  end  of  the  garden  was  an  arhor  over- 
grown with  honeysuckle  ;  at  its  entrance  stood  sentry  two 
potbellied  Cupids  in  the  rococco  style,  with  little  queues 
and  all  that — both  of  them  painted  sky-blue  from  head 
to  foot. 

"It's  easy  to  see  whom  one  is  visiting,"  said  Felix, 
laughing.  " '  His  pig-tail  hangs  behind  him,'  or  have  you 
had  it  cut  off  ?  "  Then,  without  waiting  for  an  answer  : 
"  But  tell  me,  old  fellow,  how  have  you  had  the  heart  to 
leave  your  poor  Icarus  all  these  terribly  long  years  with- 
out a  sign  of  life  on  your  part  ?  Haven't  any  of  the  six 
or  eight  letters  I  have  written  you — the  last  only  a  year 
ago  from  Chicago — " 

The  sculptor  had  turned  away  and  buried  his  face  in  a 
bunch  of  full-blown  roses.  He  turned  suddenly  toward 
his  friend,  and  said,  with  a  quick,  lowering  glance  :  "  A 
sign  of  life  !  How  do  you  know  that  I  have  lived  these 
terribly  long  years  ?  But  let  us  drop  all  that.  Come  and 
sit  down  here  in  the  arbor,  and  now  unpack  your  budget. 
A  circumnavigator  like  you  must  have  brought  all  manner 
of  things  with  you  that  are  entertaining  and  wonderful 
to  dusty  stay-at-homes  like  us.  When  you  went  away 
from  Kiel,  we  did  not  either  of  us  think  the  earth  would 
turn  so  often  before  we  looked  each  other  in  the  face 
again." 

"  What  shall  I  tell  you  ?  "  asked  the  young  man,  and 
his  delicate  brow  contracted.  "  If  my  letters  reached  you, 
you  have  not  lost  the  thread  of  my  story.     As  for  all  the 


18  IN    PARADISE. 

details  that  belong  to  it,  you  knew  me  well  enough  in 
my  fii'st  university  days,  in  those  old  times  at  Kiel,  to 
imagine  how  I  went  on  afterward  in  Heidelberg  and  Leip- 
sic,  till  I  got  an  older  head  under  my  cori^s-student's  cap. 
It  is  true,  I  soon  grew  tired  of  the  ridiculous  corps  busi- 
ness ;  but,  for  the  mere  sake  of  not  seeming  to  play  the 
renegade,  I  kept  on  with  the  old  associations  even  more 
shamelessly  than  before.  My  three  years  passed  away,  and 
a  fourth  beside  ;  I  was  fully  three-and-twenty  when  I  went 
back  into  my  dear,  dull,  little  home,  and  passed  my  ex- 
amination to  enter  the  civil  service.  How  I  managed  to 
get  on  so  long  without  giving  you  a  call,  Heaven  knows  ! 
As  early  as  the  second  year  after  our  separation,  I  was 
very  near  you.  I  had  a  trifling  reminder  of  a  pistol-duel 
with  a  Russian,  here  in  my  left  shoulder,  and  had  to  go 
to  a  watering-place  for  my  health.  In  Heligoland  I  heard 
that  you  had  moved  to  Hamburg.  I  needn't  say  that  I 
designed  to  call  upon  you  on  my  way  back.  But,  sud- 
denly, a  sad  message  called  me  home  abruptly.  My  poor 
old  father  had  had  an  apoplectic  stroke,  and  I  found  him 
dead.  Then  there  was  all  the  dreary  necessary  business, 
and,  after  it  all — .  But  why  must  we  spoil  our  first  pleas- 
ant hour  with  all  these  old  stories  ?  My  dear  Hans,  if 
you  had  a  notion  how  good  it  is  to  be  sitting  here  again 
by  your  side,  to  smell  these  roses,  and  imagine  that  my 
life  is  beginning  all  over  again — a  new  life  in  a  better 
world,  free  from  all  fetters  and — .  But,  by-the-way,  you 
have  married,  I  hear  ?  An  actress,  was  it  not  ?  Where 
did  she  come  fi-om  ?     I  heard  in  Heligoland — " 

The  sculptor  suddenly  rose.  "You  find  me  as  you 
left  me,"  he  said,  his  face  darkening  quickly  ;  "  what  is 
past,  let  us  let  it  rest.  Come  out  of  the  arbor  ;  it  is  suf- 
focatingly hot  under  those  thick  vines." 


IN    PARADISE.  19 

He  went  toward  the  little  fountain,  held  his  hands 
under  the  slender  stream,  and  passed  them  over  his  brow. 
Then,  for  the  first  time,  he  turned  to  Felix  again.  His 
face  was  once  more  composed  and  bright. 

"And  now  tell  me  what  has  brought  you  here,  and 
how  long  you  are  going  to  stay  with  me." 

"  As  long  as  you  will  have  me — for  ever  and  ever — in 
infinitum  if  you  will !  " 

"You  are  joking.  Don't  do  that,  my  dear  boy.  I 
am  so  utterly  alone  here,  in  spite  of  a  plenty  of  good  com- 
rades with  whom  I  can  share  everything  except  my  most 
intimate  thoughts,  that  the  thought  of  beginning  our  old 
life  again  seems  far  too  happy  to  me  to  be  only  made  a 
jest  of." 

"  But  it  is  my  most  serious  earnest,  dear  old  Hans.  I 
am  going  to  stay  here  with  you,  if  you  have  nothing 
against  it,  in  your  most  intimate  daily  companionship  ; 
and,  if  some  day  you  strike  your  tent  and  wander  away 
somewhere  else,  I  will  go  too.  In  one  word,  I  have  put 
my  whole  past  career  behind  me,  and  broken  up  all  my 
old  associations,  so  that  I  may  begin,  as  I  said,  my  whole 
life  over  again,  and  not  be  anything  but  what  I  care  most 
to  be — a  free  man  ;  not  make  myself  anything  but  what 
I  have  always  secretly  longed  to  be,  an  artist,  as  good  or 
as  bad  a  one  as  mother  Nature  will  let  me," 

He  poured  forth  these  words  hurriedly,  and  with  down- 
cast face,  and  as  he  talked  drew  a  light  circle  in  the 
nearest  flower-bed  with  his  cane.  It  was  only  after  a 
pause,  and  when  his  friend  made  no  reply,  that  he  raised 
his  eyes  and  met,  with  some  embarrassment,  the  quiet  gaze 
fixed  upon  him. 

"  You  don't  seem  quite  able  to  accept  this  change  in 
my  life  all  at  once,  Hans  ?    Others  besides  you  have  had 


20  IN    PARADISE. 

the  same  feeling — the  person  most  concerned  in  it,  for  in- 
stance. That  I  have  become  a  conceited  ass,  and  fancy 
that  because  I  used  to  be  extravagantly  fond  of  modeling 
all  manner  of  absurdities  in  clay,  and  cutting  caricatiires 
of  my  friends  in  meerschaum — this  I  hope  you  will  not 
believe.  But  why  I  can't  get  beyond  the  condition  of  a 
dilettante,  if  I  only  am  serious  about  it,  and  think  of  and 
do  nothing  else  but  study  my  A,  B,  C,  under  a  good  mas- 
ter— I  beg  of  you,  my  dear  Daedalus,  don't  pull  such  a 
disheartening  face  !  Don't  look  so  sadly  at  the  lost  youth 
— as  I  probably  seem  to  you  ;  or  at  least  smile  ironically, 
so  as  to  rouse  my  anger  and  wound  my  wnour  propre  a 
little  !  But  by  the  eternal  gods — what  is  there  after  all 
so  horribly  fatal  in  this  decision  ?  That  it  hasn't  occurred 
to  me  till  after  twenty-seven  years  ?  That  is  bad,  I  admit, 
but  not  a  proof  that  it  is  hopeless.  Think  of  your  own 
half-countryman,  Asmus  Carstens,  or  of — well,  I  won't 
give  you  a  whole  chapter  of  artists'  biographies.  And 
besides,  when  I  am  altogether  independent  and  have  burnt 
my  ships  behind  me —  " 

He  stopped  again.  His  fi-iend's  silence  seemed  to 
cheek  his  utterance.  For  a  time  nothing  was  to  be  heard 
around  them  but  the  splashing  of  the  little  fountain,  and 
from  the  window  above  them  the  notes  of  the  battle- 
painter's  flute,  every  little  while  dying  dismally  away. 

Suddenly  the  sculptor  stood  still. 

"And  does  your  fiancee  agree  to  this  project?" 

"  My  fiancee  ?  What  in  the  world  puts  that  question 
into  your  head  ?  " 

"  Because,  although  I  never  answered  your  letters,  I 
remember  them  all  very  well.  Is  it  possible  that  you  too 
do  not  remember  what  you  wrote  me  three  years  ago,  un- 
der the  seal  of  the  deepest —  " 


IN   PARADISE.  21 

"  So  I  did  do  it  then  !  "  cried  the  young  man  with  a 
short,  abrupt  laugh.  "  So  I  did  chatter,  did  I  ?  I  assure 
you,  my  dear  Hans,  I  was  myself  doubtful  how  far  I  had 
initiated  you — you,  the  only  one  before  whom  I  ever  lifted 
even  a  corner  of  the  veil  from  this  veiled  picture.  After 
awhile — as  you  sent  no  congratulations — I  began  to  per- 
suade myself  that  I  had  kept  a  quiet  tongue  in  my  head, 
even  with  you  ;  and,  in  truth,  that  would  have  been  the 
best  thing  to  do.  Then  I  should  have  escaped  the  full 
confession  that  it  is  hard  enough  for  me  to  make — and  after 
all,  it  is  perfectly  superfluous.  For  how  shall  I — who  am 
no  poet,  and  who  am  besides  an  interested  party  in  the 
transaction — how  shall  I  describe  the  persons  concerned  so 
that  you  will  understand  how  it  all  came  about — how  it  was 
partly  the  fault  of  both — and  yet  how  both  are  innocent, 
after  all  ? 

"  But  if  you  must  have  it,  let  it  be  so — as  briefly  as 
possible. 

"  I  came  back,  then,  to  my  native  town,  to  pay  the  last 
honors  to  my  good  old  father.  You  know  what  an  un- 
homelike  home  I  had  always  found  it.  The  capital  of  a 
third-class  Duodezstaat — thank  your  good  star  that  you 
have  no  idea  what  it  means.  My  father  before  me  had 
suffered  under  the  absurd  despotism  of  this  court-etiquette, 
this  endlessly-branching,  complicated,  spun-out  primeval 
jungle  of  dry  genealogical  trees — under  these  ridiculous 
traditions  of  a  worm-eaten  bureaucracy.  He  was  a  man 
of  quite  another  type — a  sturdy,  stately  country  noble,  of 
the  most  exclusive  and  most  independent  spirit  ;  and  since 
the  death  of  my  mother — who  could  not  of  course  with- 
draw herself  so  entirely  from  her  family  connections — he 
had  lived  on  our  OAvn  estate,  altogether  apart  from  '  so- 
ciety.'    Then  came  his  death  ;  and  I — looked  upon  askance 


22  Ij^  paradise. 

even  as  a  boy  been  use  of  my  likeness  to  my  father,  and 
almost  given  up  as  far  as  a  career  at  court  or  in  politics 
was  concerned — I  believe  no  cock  would  have  crowed  at 
it,  if  I  had  once  for  all  acknowledged  that  I  was  my 
father's  true  heir  in  this  respect  also,  and  had  forever 
turned  my  back  on  the  spot  where  I  was  cradled.  But, 
much  as  I  felt  inclined  to  do  so,  it  fell  out  otherwise." 

He  put  his  hand  into  his  pocket  and  took  out  a  little 
memorandum-book,    . 

"  You  shall  have  the  romance  in  an  illustrated  edition," 
he  said,  with  a  rather  forced  attempt  at  jesting.  "  See,  it 
was  this  little  person's  fault  that  I  thought  for  a  while  it 
was  really  my  calling  to  be  a  useful  citizen — chamberlain 
to  his  Highness — by  and  by  master  of  the  hunt — court 
marshal — heaven  knows  what  all.  Is  not  that  a  face  that 
could  persuade  one  of  anything,  and  could  tiu'n  a  head 
that  never  sat  very  firmly  ?  And  that  is  only  a  common- 
place photograph,  and  three  years  old  ;  and  besides,  in 
these  three  years  the  wicked  child  has  learned  all  manner 
of  witches'  arts  ;  and  the  eyes  that  here  in  the  photograph 
look  so  still  and  fixed — half  curious,  half  timid,  as  if  they 
were  looking  at  a  theatre-curtain  that  would  not  go  up — 
I  can  tell  you,  my  dear  boy,  they  look  into  the  world  now 
with  such  a  queenly  confidence  and  dignity  that  it  fairly 
— but  that  is  no  part  of  our  present  talk.  And  at  that 
time,  when  the  misfortune  happened  and  I  lost  my  heart 
to  the  child,  the  little  thing  was  hardly  more  than  a  school- 
girl, just  sixteen  years  old  ;  and  shy,  silent  and  unformed 
as  a  young  bird.  "VVe  had  known  each  other  since  we 
were  children — she  is  some  sort  of  a  cousin,  seventeen 
times  removed — just  as  all  good  families  with  us  are  re- 
lated in  some  way.  I  had  not  the  least  idea,  however,  of 
visiting  her,  until  her  uncle,  with  v\'hom  she  lived — her 


IN    PARADISE.  23 

parents  died  wlien  she  was  very  young — until  this  jovial 
gentleman  came  to  make  me  a  visit  of  condolence.  Of 
course  I  had  to  return  it,  and  it  was  on  this  occasion  that 
I  first  saw  the  slender,  pale,  large-eyed  child,  with  her 
exquisite,  tight-shut  red  lips  and  her  ravishing,  tiny  lit- 
tle ears. 

"  Soon  afterward  I  went  away  again,  and  only  after  a 
year  had  passed — after  the  infernal  examination  that  I 
would  not  shirk,  in  spite  of  my  freedom,  lest  it  should 
seem  as  though  I  were  afraid  of  it — only  then,  when  she 
was  seventeen  years  old,  did  I  see  her  again.  While  I  was 
away,  a  recollection  of  her  had  come  back  to  me  from  time 
to  time  ;  suddenly,  m  the  midst  of  altogether  different 
things,  I  had  seen  something  flitting  befoi-e  me  that  re- 
sembled nothing  but  her  slight  and  somewhat  spare  figure, 
about  which  there  was  one  trait  that  always  seemed  to  me 
especially  charming — that  though  she  was  perhaps  not 
quite  tall  enough,  her  little  form  was  always  so  haughty 
and  erect  and  so  delicately  and  perfectly  balanced  on  its 
slender  pedestal.  Sometimes,  too,  her  eyes  met  me  in  a 
fairly  ghost-like  fashion,  when  I  was  among  my  comrades 
or  alone  out  of  doors.  And  yet  I  had  never  exchanged 
ten  words  with  her, 

"  And  now,  when  I  found  her  again,  a  year  older  and 
suddenly  developed  into  a  young  woman — no,  Hans,  you 
need  not  fear  that  I  am  shamelessly  going  to  put  our 
whole  love-story  at  your  mercy,  here  in  the  bright  morn- 
ing sunlight.  Enough  to  say  that  it  had  fared  much  the 
same  with  her,  as  far  as  my  worthy  self  was  concerned,  as 
v/ith  me  in  respect  to  her.  We  saw  that  we  were  meant 
for  one  another,  as  people  say — without  ever  thinking  how 
much  is  meant  by  the  words. 

"  Well !  everything  would  have  been  well  enough  ;  the 


24  IN    PARADISE. 

match  seemed  as  Men  assortie  as  could  possibly  have  been 
■wished  even  in  such  an  aristocratic  and  cosmopolitan  cap- 
ital as  ours.  If  we  had  only  married  at  once,  on  the  spur 
of  the  moment,  we  should  have  been  just  the  people — she 
with  her  seventeen  years,  and  I  with  my  three  or  f  our-and- 
twenty — to  be  altogether  suited  to  one  another,  and,  as 
time  went  on,  to  so  round  off  the  very  perceptible  and 
serious  corners  and  sharpnesses  of  our  two  temperaments, 
that  finally  it  would  have  been  a  thoroughly  happy  mar- 
riage. But,  unfortunately,  Irene's  mother  had  married  at 
seventeen,  and  attributed  her  lifelong  invalidism — for  she 
was  a  delicate  creature  and  always  remained  so — to  this 
early  marriage.  When  she  died — still  very  young — she 
charged  her  husband  solemnly  that  he  should  not  let  their 
only  daughter  marry  before  she  was  twenty  ;  and  the 
uncle,  who  afterward  filled  a  father's  place  to  my  sweet- 
heart, considered  himself  absolutely  bound  by  this  mherit- 
ed  pledge.  I  must  wait  patiently,  therefore,  for  three 
whole  years.  And  as  he  was  a  bachelor,  and  his  niece 
had  no  chaperon  to  call  upon  but  a  former  servant,  I  M^as 
required  to  pledge  myself  to  avoid  all  companionship  with 
my  betrothed  during  this  long  probation,  and  only  to  car- 
ry on  my  courtship  by  letter  ;  so  that  every  temptation  to 
seek  to  shorten  the  time  of  waiting  might  be  put  a  stop  to 
once  for  all. 

"  You  can  imagine  what  my  feelings  were  when  the  old 
gentleman  told  me  all  this.  To  decree  a  three  years'  ban- 
ishment just  because  we  should  give  him  trouble — because 
he  hated  responsibility,  and  because  he  believed,  as  an  old 
hand  at  love-making,  that  this  was  the  best  way  to  pro- 
tect lovers  against  themselves  !  But,  jovial  as  his  manner 
was,  he  was  an  uncompromising  egotist  where  his  own 
quiet  and  comfort  were  concerned.     And  I  was  too  stub- 


JN    PARADISE.  25 

bom  and  too  proud  to  make  any  supplications,  and  too 
sure  of  myself  and  my  sweetheart  to  fear  the  length  of 
the  intei'val ;  which  did  not  seem  to  me  at  fii'st  glance  so 
intolerable  as  I  often  felt  it  afterward — in  sighs  and  mis- 
ery. 

"  My  sweetheart,  too,  threw  back  her  little  head  and 
said  :  '  Yes,  we  will  wait.' — Afterward,  it  is  true,  when  it 
came  to  our  last  parting,  she  fell  out  of  my  arms  as  though 
she  were  dead,  and  I  thought  she  would  never  open  her 
eyes  again.  Even  now  I  don't  know  how  I  succeeded,  in 
spite  of  it  all,  in  tearing  myself  away. 

"  And  this  three  years'  separation  itself  !  If  I  had  only 
been  a  man  of  sense — that  is,  if  I  had  been  another  than 
myself — I  should  have  settled  doT\Ti  somewhere  in  Ger- 
many, and  taken  up  some  task  at  which  I  could  have 
worked  myself  tired — to  fight  down  my  unprofitable 
lover's-melancholy.  Why  could  not  I  devote  my  three 
years  to  making  myself  a  perfect  agriculturist,  or  a  promi- 
nent jurist,  or  a  politician,  or  something  that  is  of  some 
use  in  the  world  ?  To  make  one's  self  so  completely  master 
of  some  department  of  life  or  knowledge  that  one  knows 
every  square  foot  of  it  is  rather  an  absurd  and  common- 
place consolation,  to  be  sure  ;  but  it  is  better,  after  all, 
than  an  objectless  activity,  a  love  nourished  on  prison- 
fare,  and  a  longing  for  freedom  that  at  last  makes  one 
look  upon  mere  change  as  something  desirable. 

"  Even  then  I  thought  of  my  old  Doedalus.  I  was  on 
the  very  point  of  falling  upon  you  in  your  studio,  and,  for 
want  of  a  smooth,  girlish  cheek  to  caress,  of  trying  my  hand 
on  a  soft  bit  of  clay.  Just  then  I  chanced  upon  an  oppor- 
tunity to  go  to  England  ;  there  I  stayed  until  I  was  ripe 
for  America  ;  and  he  who  once  sets  foot  in  the  New  World, 
and  hasn't  left  any  very  pressing  business  behind  him  in 


26  /-V    PARADISE. 

the  Old,  can  get  rid  of  a  few  years  of  Ms  life  wdtliout  know- 
ing exactly  how  he  has  done  it.  It  is  enough  to  tell  you 
that  I  had  already  reached  Rio,  traveling  by  way  of  San 
Francisco  and  Mexico,  when  I  said  to  myself  one  day  that 
if  I  did  not  want  to  prolong  my  exile  voluntarily,  and  so 
appear  to  my  betrothed  in  rather  a  bad  light,  I  must  take 
the  next  steamer  that  sailed  for  Havre,  in  order  to  land  at 
last,  after  all  this  wandering  over  the  wide  world,  in  the 
harbor  of  my  wedded  bliss. 

"I  had  wi-itten  regularly  to  my  betrothed  every 
month — beautiful  diary-like  love-letters — and  had  received 
with  equal  regularity  letters  from  her,  which,  to  speak 
honestly,  had  now  and  then  irritated  me  greatly  ;  so  that 
we  had  already  had  (on  paper)  all  manner  of  misunder- 
standings, tiffs,  quarrels,  and  reconciliations.  I  considered 
that  all  this  belonged  of  right  to  a  well-conducted  thi-ee- 
years'  engagement,  and  did  not  take  it  too  much  to  heart 
when  my  well-bred,  rather  provincial  little  sweetheart, 
who  had  grown  up  in  the  atmosphere  of  the  petty  capital, 
occasionally  gave  her  vagabond  fiance  a  little  moral  les- 
son. Perhaps  I  was  wrong,  and  certainly  I  was  foolish, 
always  to  report  my  varied  adventures  with  absolute  can- 
dor. There  were  no  very  serious  matters  among  them  ; 
and  the  few  cases  of  real  human  weaknesses  and  sins  I 
kept  to  myself — shut  up  in  a  sincerely  remorseful  heart. 
But  she  found  fault  even  with  the  tone  of  my  '  sketches 
from  two  hemispheres.'  Good  heavens  !  it  is  easily  com- 
prehensible that  the  poor  child,  living  as  she  did  among 
such  absurd  surroundings,  could  not  have  much  taste  for 
a  free  life  out  in  the  world  !  Thrown  entirely  on  herself, 
watched  over  by  a  hundred  eyes  in  a  narrow,  starched, 
formal  society — I  once  Avrote  to  her  that  she  was  only  so 
serious  beyond  her  years  because  she  had  had  to  fill,  as  it 


IN    PARADISE.  27 

■were,  a  mother's  place  to  herself,  and  be  her  own  gover- 
ness and  duenna.  And,  besides  all  this,  there  was  her  un- 
cle's frightful  example — for  she  could  not  long  remain 
ignorant  of  his  habit  of  compensating  himself  for  outward 
respectability  by  private  orgies  at  his  bachelor  clubs  and 
petits  soiqjers. 

"  Only  let  the  three  years  be  over,  I  thought  to  myself, 
and  we  will  soon  weed  out  the  tares  that  have  sprung  up 
between  our  roses.  But  I  did  not  know  the  vigor  of  the 
ground  in  which  all  this  bad  crop  had  grown  up.  Nor  did 
I  know  how  much  the  years  between  seventeen  and  twenty 
signified  in  such  a  girl's  life. 

"  At  last,  then,  I  arrived  at  home,  and  found — but, 
no  !  "  He  checked  himself  abruptly,  and  made  a  sharp 
cut  at  the  air  with  his  cane.  "  Why  should  I  bore  you 
with  a  detailed  story  of  a  domestic  comedy  that  has  only 
a  decidedly  unfavorable  likeness  to  '  Much  Ado  about 
Nothing,'  and,  instead  of  ending  with  the  reconciliation 
between  Benedict  and  Beatrice,  finished  with  a  ridiculous 
eternal  separation  ?  For  isn't  it  almost  as  laughable  as  la- 
mentable that  two  lovers,  who  for  three  whole  years,  the 
world  over,  have  been  extravagantly  fond  of  one  another, 
should  count  the  days  till  they  could  fall  again  on  one  an- 
other's necks,  and  then  should  not  be  able  to  get  on  to- 
gether for  six  weeks  ?  And  all  this  only  because — as  old 
Goethe  says — man  strives  for  liberty,  woman  for  morali- 
ty ;  and  because  the  said  moral  law  seems  to  the  man  a 
wretched  slavery,  while  the  unhappy  young  woman  thinks 
even  a  very  moderate  freedom  immoral  !  Ah,  my  dear 
old  Hans,  what  did  I  not  endure  in  those  six  weeks  ! — and 
more  especially  because  I  was  thoroughly  dissatisfied  with 
myself.  After  our  altogether  fruitless  (and  therefore  all 
the  more  obstinate)  discussions  of  these  questions,  in  which 


28  I^    PARADISE. 

T  poured  out  my  bitterest  sconi  upon  her  court-etiquette, 
her  kid-gloved  prejudices,  her  duenna-like  code  of  morals, 
while  she  put  my  baseless  principles  to  shame  with  a 
maidenly  pride  and  firmness  that  I  could  have  kissed  her 
for — always  after  these  discussions  I  used  to  say  to  myself, 
in  the  quiet  of  ray  chamber,  that  I  was  a  mad  fool  to  up- 
set matters  as  I  did.  With  a  little  diplomacy,  a  little 
delicate  tact,  and  patient  hypocrisy,  I  could  have  thor- 
oughly gained  my  end  ;  could  have  borne  the  stupid  ban 
of  society  until  my  marriage  ;  and  then,  when  we  were 
alone  together,  could  have  gradually  develojied  my  little 
wife  out  of  her  doll-like  state  of  servitude,  and  rejoiced  to 
see  her  spread  her  wings  in  freedom. 

"  But  it  was  odd  :  as  often  as  I  appeared  before  her 
with  the  best  resolves  in  the  world — the  war  began  again. 
You  must  not  imagine  that  she  fairly  entered  the  lists, 
challenged  me,  and  herself  brought  up  our  old  points  of 
conflict.  But  it  was  precisely  her  quiet  reserve,  her  ob- 
vious good  intention  to  be  cautious  with  the  reckless 
scapegrace,  and  to  leave  his  reform  to  time — it  was  all 
this  that  overthrew  my  finest  diplomatic  projects.  I  would 
begin  to  joke,  then  to  chaif,  then  to  hurl  the  most  fearful 
insults  against  people  and  customs  that  seemed  fairly  holy 
to  her — and  so  it  went  on,  day  after  day,  until  there  came 
one  day  that  fairly  '  forced  the  bottom  out  of  the  cask ' — 
a  wretched,  wretched  day  ! " 

He  paused  a  moment,  and  fixed  his  eyes  gloomily  upon 
the  ground. 

"  There's  no  help  for  it  ! "  he  said,  at  last.  "  It  must 
come  out.  Once  in  my  life  I  did  something  that  humili- 
ated me  in  my  own  eyes.  I  committed  a  sin  against  my 
own  sense  of  honor — a  base  act,  for  which  I  never  can 
forgive  myself,  although  a  court  of  honor  in  matters  of 


IN    PARjiDISE.  29 

gallantry — chosen  from  among  my  own  equals,  mind  you 
— would  probably  have  let  me  off  with  a  slight  penance, 
if  not  scot-free  altogether.  You  know  what  I  think  of 
what  is  called  sin  ;  there  is  no  absolute  moral  code  ;  what 
brands  one  forever  is  only  a  little  spot  upon  another — all 
according  to  the  delicacy  and  sensitiveness  of  the  skin. 
Even  conscience  is  a  product  of  culture,  and  the  categori- 
cal imperative  is  a  pure  fiction.  What  a  brutal  blackguard 
of  a  soldier  permits  himself  in  plundering  a  captured 
town,  and  feels  his  conscience  untroubled,  would  dishonor 
his  ofiicer  to  all  eternity.  But  I  am  not  going  to  theorize  ; 
suffice  it  to  say  that  that  inner  harmony  with  one's  self, 
on  which  everything  depends,  was  utterly  destroyed  in 
me  by  this  act.  From  the  way  in  which  it  haunted  me, 
you  can  conceive  how,  in  a  moment  of  weakness,  I  con- 
fessed the  whole  story  to  Irene's  uncle,  little  consolation 
as  I  could  get  from  the  absolution  of  so  very  odd  a  saint. 
I  saw  hov)  little,  when  he  utterly  failed  to  understand 
how  I  could  take  the  matter  so  to  heart,  especially  as  it 
had  taken  place  a  considerable  time  before  my  engage- 
ment. I  instantly  repented  most  bitterly  that  I  had  con- 
fided in  him  ;  and  his  promise,  never  by  a  single  syllable 
to  recur  to  it,  reassured  me  but  little. 

"  I  was  right.  He  forgot  it  himself  ;  and  one  unhap- 
py day  he  began,  in  the  very  presence  of  his  niece — ^we 
had  just  been  speaking  of  all  manner  of  far  more  inno- 
cent adventures,  and  even  these  she  would  not  let  pass — 
he  began  to  refer  to  that  -wa-etched  story.  Something 
must  have  come  into  my  face  that  instantly  gave  my 
sweetheart  an  idea  that  this  reference  meant  something 
beyond  the  common.  Her  uncle,  too,  began  to  stammer, 
and  made  a  clumsy  attempt  to  change  the  subject.  That 
made  the  matter  worse.     Irene  stopped  talking,  and  soon 


30  /iV    PARADISE. 

after  left  the  room.  The  uncle,  good-natured  as  usual, 
cursed  his  o\ra  loquacity  again  and  again  ;  but,  naturally, 
that  did  not  help  things.  When  I  saw  my  little  one 
again,  she  asked  me  to  what  his  words  referred.  I  was 
too  proud  to  lie  to  her ;  I  confessed  that  I  carried  about 
with  me  the  memory  of  something  that  I  wished  to  con- 
ceal from  myself — how  much  more  from  her  !  With  that 
she  grew  silent  again.  But  on  the  evening  of  that  day, 
when  I  was  a  second  time  alone  with  her,  she  told  me  that 
she  must  know  the  whole.  I  could  not  have  done  any- 
thing that  she  could  not  forgive  me  ;  but  she  felt  that  she 
could  not  live  by  my  side  when  there  was  such  a  secret 
between  us. 

"Perhaps  a  wiser  man  might  have  invented  some 
story,  and  so  have  avoided  a  greater  evil.  There  is  such 
a  thing  as  a  necessary  lie.  But  I  held  to  the  belief  that 
every  man  is  alone  responsible  for  his  acts  ;  that  I  should 
add  a  second  sin  to  the  first  if  I  burdened  the  pure  soul 
of  my  darling  with  such  a  confidence  ;  and  so  I  remained 
unshaken,  though  I  knew  her  too  well  not  to  know  how 
much  was  at  stake. 

"  On  the  next  morning  I  received  her  parting  letter — 
a  letter  that  for  the  first  time  showed  me  all  that  I  was 
losing. 

"  But  I  had  gone  too  far  to  turn  back.  I  answered 
that  I  would  wait  until  she  changed  her  opinions  ;  that  in 
the  mean  time  I  should  look  upon  myself  as  bound  to 
her  ;  but  she  was,  of  course,  entirely  free, 

"  That  was  a  week  ago.  I  reflected  that  of  course  it 
would  be  necessary  to  leave  at  once  those  places  where 
she  might  meet  me.  In  putting  my  house  in  order  for  an 
indefinite  absence,  I  came  upon  a  package  of  visiting- 
cards  in  one  of  my  mother's  cupboards  that  had  on  them 


IN    PARADISE.  31 

the  name  of  her  brother,  my  godfather,  Felix  von  Weib- 
lingen.  It  occurred  to  me  as  a  good  idea  that,  under 
this  name,  I  might  for  a  while  {incognito)  breathe  the 
same  air  with  my  oldest  friend,  and  at  the  same  time  at- 
tain the  goal  of  my  dearest  wishes — to  begin  a  new  life. 
There  is  nothing  in  me  of  the  ordinary  numbered  and 
classified  type  of  '  man  with  a  calling,'  and,  even  with  the 
best  wife  in  the  world,  I  never  should  have  been  able  to 
busy  myself  quietly  on  my  estate  with  bringing  up  chil- 
dren, making  brandy,  and  fox-hunting.  It  is  better, 
then,  that  I  should  use  this  involuntary  opportunity  to 
dispose  of  myself  as  I  choose,  in  trying  whether  I  can't 
really  make  a  life  of  my  own.  If  in  time  she  should 
bring  herself  to  my  way  of  thinking,  she  would  then  find 
a  fait  accompli  that  she  would  have  to  accept. 

"  It  will  be  no  shame  to  me  in  your  eyes  if  I  don't  at 
once  find  my  spirits  so  entirely  in  order  that  I  can 
go  rushing  into  a  mastery  of  the  fine  arts  by  light- 
ning express.  I  have  reached  the  door  of  your  studio  but 
slowly,  and  by  veiy  short  stages — but  this  very  slowness 
has  done  me  good.  You  see  before  you  a  thoroughly  sen- 
sible man,  who  is  determined  to  submit  to  fate  without  a 
grumble.  If  you  will  only  take  me  into  training,  it 
will  not  be  long  before  the  wings  of  your  faithful  Icarus 
will  grow  again,  to  lift  him  above  all  this  wretched  world 
of  Philistinism  and  its  foolish  love-affairs." 


32  IN    PARADISE. 


CHAPTER    III. 

The  sculptor  had  listened  to  this  long  confession  in 
silence.  And  even  now,  when  Felix  ended,  and  began  to 
pull  to  pieces  a  sprig  of  mignonette  as  carefully  as 
though  he  were  trying  to  count  the  stamens  in  the  little 
blossoms,  he  betrayed  neither  by  word  nor  look  any  opin- 
ion of  what  he  had  just  heard. 

"  I  find  that  you  have  made  great  progress  in  your 
old  art  of  expressing  yourself  by  silence,"  said  the  young 
man  at  length,  with  a  somewhat  forced  lightness  of 
tone.  "  Do  you  remember  how  I  used  to  be  able  to  tell 
from  the  degree,  and,  so  to  speak,  from  the  j)^^'^^^  of  your 
silence,  just  what  you  were  thinking  of  my  nonsense  '?  I 
can  tell  in  the  same  way  now  :  you  think  my  decision  to 
become  an  artist  is  a  mere  absurdity.  You  used  to  tell 
me  that  I  was  not  fit  either  for  science  or  art — that  I  was 
an  homme  d'action.  But  there's  no  help  for  it  now  :  if 
it  is  a  wrong  road — why,  I  am  in  it  once  for  all  and  mean 
to  follow  it  to  the  end.  So  speak  out,  and  tell  me  candidly 
whether  I  must  look  up  another  master,  or  whether  the 
lion  will  endure  the  company  of  the  puppy  in  his  cage — 
as  he  used  to  before  he  himself  was  a  full-grown  king  of 
the  desert  ?  " 

"  "What  shall  I  say  to  you,  my  dear  boy  ?  "  replied  the 
sculptor,  in  his  quiet,  rather  slow  manner.  "  The  thing  is 
a  matter  of  course.  I  need  not  say  to  you,  well  as  you 
know  me,  that  I  can  hardly  base  any  very  exalted  hopes 
upon  an  art-apprentice  Avho  takes  up  his  task  somewhat  as 
a  man  might  marry  a  woman  with  whom  he  had  not  been 
especially  in  love,  but  who  now,  when  his  real  sweetheart 


IN    PARADISE.  33 

has  given  him  the  mitten,  is  a  good  enough  last  resort  ; 
that  the  future  career  of  an  art  adopted  thus  out  of  spite, 
as  it  were,  seems  to  me  very  doubtful.  But  then,  too,  I 
know  you  well  enough  to  be  sure  that  all  the  Phidiases 
and  Michael  Angelos  in  the  world  couldn't  make  you 
break  your  resolution,  and  that,  if  I  should  lock  my  door 
against  you,  you  would  be  just  the  fellow  to  bind  your- 
self out  as  an  apprentice  to  the  first  of  my  colleagues  you 
might  chance  upon.  And  then — to  be  honest — it  is  such 
a  pleasure  to  me  to  have  you  back  again  at  all,  that  out  of 
pure  selfishness  I  can't  make  any  objection  if  your  energy, 
instead  of  taking  hold  of  real  life,  chooses  to  spend  itself 
on  a  harmless  bit  of  clay.  For  the  rest — let  us  speak  of  it 
another  time — or  not  at  all,  whichever  pleases  you  better. 
In  such  matters  we  take  no  counsel,  after  all,  but  that  of 
our  own  souls  ;  and  if  this  isn't  always  the  best  for  us — 
why,  we  are  sovereigns  of  ourselves,  and  have  it  in  our 
own  power  to  save  or  ruin  ourselves  according  to  our  na- 
tures. Here  is  my  hand,  then.  You  can  begin  to-mor- 
row, if  you  like,  your  apprenticeship  as  a  kneader  of  clay 
and  chipper  of  stone — and  your  baronial  ancestors  can 
turn  in  their  graves  at  it  as  they  please." 

"  Chaff  away,  dear  old  Hans  !  "  cried  the  young  man, 
joyously.  "  Now  I'll  stake  my  head  that  I  will  become  a 
famous  artist  just  to  have  the  laugh  on  you  !  I  will  work 
from  morning  till  night  with  a  true  malicious  pleasure, 
grinding  and  fretting  till  the  dilettante  skin  is  rubbed 
off  and  something  better  appears  below  it.  And  you  shall 
see  that  I  have  not  spent  these  seven  years  altogether  in 
lounging.  If  you  will  run  through  my  sketch-books  from 
both  continents — but  apropos,  what  have  you  been  doing 
in  the  mean  while  ?    Is  it  not  a  shame  that  I  haven't  been 

able  to  keep  track  of  your  progress  toward  immortality, 
3 


34  IN    PARADISE. 

even  by  a  wretched  pbotogrfiph  ?  And  here  I  have  been 
running  on  for  an  hour  over  my  own  adventures,  while 
the  most  glorious  wonders  of  the  world  are  waiting  for 
me  over  yonder  !  " 

He  strode  quickly  across  the  yard,  to  which  they  had 
come  back  while  they  were  talking,  and  entered  the  house. 

"  You  will  repent  this  haste,  rash  boy  !  "  Jansen  called 
after  him,  while  an  odd  smile  played  about  his  lips. 
"  You  will  indeed  wonder  over  much  that  you  see — but 
the  wonders  of  the  world  that  you  dream  of — they  are 
still  in  this  narrow  room "  (he  pointed  to  his  forehead), 
"  and  even  there  they  are  not  always  in  the  best  light !  " 

With  these  words  he  unlocked  one  of  the  two  lower 
doors,  and  let  Felix  pass  in. 

It  was  a  second  studio,  adjoining  that  in  which  he  had 
worked  during  the  morning  ;  a  room  precisely  like  the 
other,  its  walls  painted  in  the  same  stone-color,  and  its 
great  square  window  half  draped  in  the  same  fashion. 
And  yet  no  one  would  have  believed  that  the  same  spirit 
ruled  here  that  had  created  the  dancing  Bacchante  in  the 
next  atelier. 

On  slender  pedestals  stood  a  multitude  of  figures,  most 
of  them  of  half  life-size,  such  as  are  used  for  the  decora- 
tion of  Catholic  churches,  chapels  and  cemeteries.  Some 
of  them  were  just  begun,  some  were  almost  finished  works; 
and  in  all  could  be  clearly  recognized  the  hands  of  the 
pupils  who  had  theu*  execution  in  charge — sometimes  more 
and  sometimes  less  skillfully  imitating  the  little  original 
models,  barely  six  inches  high,  that  stood  on  small  shelves 
beside  the  copies.  WTiile  the  latter  were  neatly  cut  in 
sandstone  or  in  the  cheaper  marbles — and  a  few  in  wood, 
decorated  with  all  manner  of  painting  and  gilding — the 
little  models  were  in  plaster,  and  spotted  and  nicked  by 


IN    PARADTSE.  35 

constant  use.  Yet  these  doll-like  little  madonnas,  saints 
and  apostles,  and  praying  and  playing  angels  in  their 
heavy  draperies,  had  a  certain  odd  and  now  and  then  al- 
most caricatured  life-likeness — so  great  that  not  all  of  its 
charm  was  lost,  even  in  the  dry  copies  made  by  the  as- 
sistants. They  had  something  of  the  same  element  of 
humor  that  Ariosto  gives  to  his  personages — which  by  no 
means  lose  in  life  or  force  because  their  author  has  lost  his 
own  simple  faith  in  them. 

"Allow  me  to  ask,"  said  Felix,  after  looking  about 
blankly  for  a  moment,  "  into  whose  room  you  have  brought 
me  ?  And  is  your  good  friend  who  practises  this  pious 
art  hidden  somewhere  close  by,  so  that  one  must  be  cau- 
tious in  his  criticisms  ?  " 

"  You  needn't  be  in  the  least  disturbed,  my  dear  fel- 
low ;  the  lord  and  master  of  this  worshipful  company 
stands  before  you." 

"  You,  yourself  ?  Daedalus  with  a  saint's  halo  !  The 
preacher  in  the  wilderness  of  modern  art  actually  at  the 
foot  of  the  cross  !  Before  I  believe  that,  I  shall  have  to 
take  the  cowl  myself,  and  declare  poor  naked  Beauty  to 
be  an  invention  of  the  devil !  " 

The  sculptor  cast  down  his  eyes  for  a  moment. 

"  Yes,  my  dear  fellow,"  he  said,  "  this  is  what  we  have 
come  to  in  our  art-desert.  You  ask  me  for  beauty,  and 
I  offer  you  clothes-racks  with  dolls'-heads  !  As  long  ago 
as  when  we  were  in  Kiel,  I  had  to  learn  that  the  world  of 
to-day  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  true  art.  You  know 
how  hard  I  found  it  to  turn  these  stones  of  mine  into 
bread.  It  was  still  worse  when  I  moved  to  Hamburg, 
and  there — "  he  checked  himself  suddenly,  and  turned 
away  ;  "  well,  living  is  more  expensive  there,  and  I  began 
to  be  older  and  less  easily  satisfied  ;  and,  when  I  could 


36  IN    PARADISE. 

no  longer  support  myself  in  the  place — it  was  the  wretched 
trading  city's  fault,  I  thought — I  packed  up  my  best 
models  and  sketches  and  came  here,  to  the  much-praised 
land  of  art,  the  '  Athens  on  the  Iser,'  of  which  so  much 
is  said  and  sung.  You  will  soon  learn  how  it  is  here. 
I  won't  begin  as  soon  as  you  have  crossed  the  threshold 
to  sweep  all  the  disagreeable  things  in  the  house  out  of 
the  corners  for  you.  I  will  only  say  that  the  Munich 
Philistine  isn't  a  hair  better  than  those  on  the  Jungfern- 
stieg  or  in  our  old  Holstein.  After  I  had  managed,  with 
great  difficulty,  to  keep  myself  alive  here  for  a  year, 
and  had  hardly  earned  enough  in  the  service  of  pure 
beauty  to  keep  life  in  my  body,  I  found  that  such  misery 
was  enough  to  make  a  man  turn  Catholic — and,  as  this 
spectacle  shows,  I  did  turn  so,  half-and-half.  It  wasn't 
so  easy  as  it  may  seem  to  you  here — to  my  shame  !  Be- 
sides a  trace  of  conscience,  which  was  always  reminding 

me  that 

'  Man,  after  all,  has  higher  goals  to  seek 
Than  simply  feeding  seven  times  a  week ; ' 

besides  my  own  humiliation  before  myself  and  a  few  of 
my  good  colleagues,  I  was  hampered  by  a  real  lack  of 
skill.  It  needs  a  good  deal  to  take  all  the  manliness  out 
of  one's  self,  so  that  one  can  fit  himself  to  all  the  miser- 
able complications,  the  twisted  deformities  and  taraeness 
of  our  modern  civilization.  But  it  only  depends,  after 
all,  on  one's  capability  of  getting  the  humor  out  of  the 
thing.  The  idea  that  I,  an  unmitigated  pagan,  should 
establish  a  manufactory  of  images  of  saints,  struck  me  as 
so  indescribably  rich  that  one  fine  day  I  actually  set  to 
work  to  model  a  Saint  Sebastian,  in  which  task  my  knowl- 
edge of  anatomy  stood  me  in  good  stead.  But,  even  here, 
I  soon  found  that  it  is  only  *  clothes  that  make  the  man.' 


IN    PARADISE.  37 

It  was  only  when  I  betook  myself  to  making  draperies, 
trains,  and  sleeves,  that  the  result  took  on  the  true  devo- 
tional air  such  as  the  public  is  accustomed  to  and  desires. 
And,  since  then,  I  have  grown  prosperous  so  fast  that 
now  I  employ  eight  or  ten  assistants  ;  and,  if  it  goes  on, 
I  shall  some  day  bid  farewell  to  temporal  affairs,  in  the 
odor  of  sanctity  and  as  rich  as ."  (He  named  a  col- 
league who  enjoyed  a  continued  nish  of  business.) 

"Yes,  my  dear  Icarus,"  continued  he,  still  more 
laughingly,  as  Felix  made  no  reply  to  these  revelations, 
"you  would  not  have  believed  it  all,  I  know,  when  in 
the  first  fire  of  youth  we  rode  our  proud  hobbies,  and 
called  every  man  a  low  fool  who,  in  art  or  life,  proved 
faithless  to  his  ideals  by  a  straw's  breadth.  But  the  mill 
of  every-day  life  rubs  off  much  that  a  man  believed  was 
bound  to  him  as  with  iron — like  a  very  part  of  himself. 
And  here  you  have  an  example,  worth  your  deep  consider- 
ation, of  that  celebrated  '  liberty '  you  think  to  find  here. 
If  I  allow  myself  the  liberty  of  doing  what  I  cannot  give 
up,  I  must,  at  the  same  time,  make  up  my  mind  to  work 
at  absurdities  with  which  my  heart  has  no  sympathy.  In 
order  to  be  an  artist,  such  as  I  wish  to  be,  I  am  compelled 
to  make  Nuremberg  toys  and  to  display  them  in  the  mar- 
ket-places. But,  after  all — behind  my  own  back,  as  it 
were — I  continue  quietly  to  be  my  own  master.  Let  thy 
troubled  heart  take  courage,  beloved  son  !  thy  old  Daeda- 
lus hasn't  even  yet  become  quite  so  utterly  bad  as  these 
tr^de-wares  show  him.  I  think  you  "vvill  give  me  back 
your  esteem  if  I  lead  you  now  out  of  my  holy  into  my 
profane  atelier  —  out  of  my  tailor's-shop  into  my  para- 
dise ! " 


38  TN'    PARADISE. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

With  these  words  he  opened  the  little  door  that  sepa- 
rated the  two  studios  and  passed  in,  followed  by  Felix. 

"  You  will  find  an  old  acquaintance  again,"  he  said. 
"  I  wonder  whether  friend  Homo  still  remembers  you. 
He  has  certainly  had  time  to  grow  old  and  dull." 

The  dog  was  still  lying  in  front  of  the  old  sofa,  on  the 
straw  mat,  and  seemed  to  have  slept  quietly  on,  although 
the  girl  had  seated  herself  near  him  and  had  buried  both 
feet  in  his  thick  coat  as  in  a  rug.  Evidently  the  old  dog 
thought  it  not  disagreeable,  but  rather  pleasant  than  other- 
wise, to  be  rubbed  and  trampled  on  by  the  little  shoes. 
At  all  events  he  uttered  a  comfortable  growl  from  time  to 
time,  like  a  puiTing  cat. 

To  the  girl  herself  the  time  had  seemed  very  long.  At 
first,  when  she  heard  voices  out  in  the  garden,  she  had 
climbed  upon  a  chair  close  to  the  window,  and,  pulling  her 
skirt  over  her  bare  shoulders  that  she  might  not  be  seen 
by  any  chance  passer-by,  had  peeped  out  curiously  through 
the  roses.  The  strange  young  man,  who  spoke  so  long 
and  seriously  with  Jansen,  had  taken  her  fancy  greatly, 
with  his  tall,  slender  figure,  his  small  head  above  the  broad 
shoulders,  and  the  fiery  glance  of  his  brown  eyes,  that 
wandered  absently  about.  She  had  seen  directly  that  he 
must  be  somebody  of  distinction.  But,  when  he  disap- 
peared with  Jansen  into  the  arbor,  her  post  at  the  window 
grew  uncomfortable.  She  climbed  slowly  and  thoughtful- 
ly down,  stationed  herself  before  a  little  looking-glass  on 
the  wall,  and  looked  attentively  at  her  own  j^outhful  fig- 
ure, which  only  seemed  to  her  anything  especially  remark- 


IN    PARADISE.  39 

able  now  that  an  artist  copied  from  it.  Only  to-day  she 
was  even  less  satisfied  than  usual  with  her  face,  and  tried 
whether  it  could  not  be  improved  if  she  screwed  up  her 
mouth  as  much  as  possible,  drew  in  her  nostrils,  and 
opened  her  eyes  very  wide.  She  was  vexed  because  she 
could  not  make  herself  as  beautiful  as  the  j)laster-heads 
that  stood  above  her  on  the  brackets.  But  suddenly  she 
had  to  laugh  at  the  horribly  distorted  face  she  made  ;  her 
old  high  spii'its  came  back  ;  she  thrust  out  her  tongue  at 
her  reflection  in  the  glass,  and  was  pleased  to  see  how 
pretty  and  red  it  looked  between  her  glittering  white 
teeth.  Then  she  shook  her  thick  red  hair  and  went  sing- 
ing, and  patting  her  shoulders  in  time  with  the  tune,  up 
and  do^\^l  the  room,  so  that  the  sparrows  wore  frightened 
and  fluttered  out  at  the  Vvindow.  Then  she  stood  still 
for  a  long  while  and  looked  at  the  casts  and  clay  models 
around  her  on  the  walls  ;  and  seemed  especially  interested 
in  the  half-finished  marble  bust.  It  reminded  her  again 
of  the  stranger  outside  in  the  arbor,  whose  head  sprung 
just  so  from  his  stately  shoulders.  Finally  she  tired  of 
this  also  ;  and  besides,  she  began  to  feel  a  little  hungry. 
She  found  in  the  cupboard,  behind  her  in  the  corner  to 
which  the  sculptor  had  directed  her,  a  few  rolls  and  an 
opened  bottle  of  red  wine.  There  was  all  sorts  of  rubbish 
besides  in  the  cupboard  ;  a  masquerader's  costume,  pieces 
of  gold-stamped  leather  tapestry,  of  blue  and  red  silk  and 
brocade,  with  large  flowers  in  their  patterns,  and  a  saint's 
halo,  cut  out  of  paper  and  painted  with  beautiful  golden 
rays — that  might  have  done  service  for  a  tableau  vivant, 
or  some  other  profane  purpose.  The  idle  girl  seized  upon 
this  last,  fastened  it  on  her  head  with  the  two  ribbons  still 
attached  to  it,  and  went  again  before  the  looking-glass, 
where  she  smiled  and  made  faces  at  her  own  reflection. 


40  /^^    PARADISE. 

Then  she  took  a  piece  of  blue  damask  out  of  the  pile  of 
things,  and  threw  it  like  a  cloak  over  her  white  shoulders. 
Her  hair  flowed  freely  over  it,  so  that  at  a  distance,  when 
one  did  not  see  her  uncovered  neck,  she  looked  like  a  me- 
diaeval madonna,  who  had  stepped  out  of  her  frame  and 
had  wandered  into  some  merry  company.  The  girl 
thought  herself  very  beautiful,  and  quite  Avorthy  of  rever- 
ence in  this  disguise,  and  secretly  congratulated  herself 
on  the  surprise  and  admiration  of  the  sculj^tor,  when  he 
should  find  her  so  dressed.  That  she  might  await  his  re- 
turn more  comfortably,  she  had  seated  herself  on  the  sofa, 
put  a  glass  of  wine  on  a  chair  beside  her,  and  begun  to 
eat  a  roll.  She  had  come  across  a  portfolio  of  photographs 
of  celebrated  pictures,  and  had  laid  it  open  in  her  lap,  rest- 
ing her  feet  on  the  dog's  back  ;  and  so  she  had  sat  now  a 
full  half-hour,  absorbed  in  looking  at  the  pictures  (which 
she  found  generally  very  ugly),  when  the  little  door 
opened  and  Jansen  again  entered  the  room. 

At  the  same  moment  she  started  as  though  shot  up 
by  a  spring — so  rudely  that  the  old  dog,  giving  a  low 
howl  and  shaking  himself,  also  scrambled  up  from  his 
sleep. 

She  had  seen  the  young  stranger  enter  behind  the 
sculptor ;  and  now  she  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  atelier, 
drawing  the  little  blue  silk  flag  as  tightly  as  she  could 
across  her  breast,  her  eyes  flaming  with  anger,  and  her 
whole  body  trembling  with  excitement. 

"You  need  not  be  afraid,  my  child,"  said  the  sculptor, 
"this  gentleman  is  also  an  artist.  Good  Heavens  !  How 
magnificently  you  have  dressed  yourself  !  The  halo  be- 
comes you  excellently.     Turn  round  a  little — " 

She  shook  her  head  violently. 

"  Let  me  go  !  I  will  never  come  again  ! "  she  said  half 


IN    PARADISE.  41 

aloud.  "  You  haven't  kept  your  word  to  me  !  Oh  !  it  is 
shameful ! " 

"  But,  Zenz— " 

"No,  never  again  !  You  have  deceived  me.  You 
know  very  well  what  you  promised  me,  and  yet — " 

"  But  if  you  would  only  listen  !     I  assure  you  solemn- 

ly-" 

Shaking  her  head  and  blushing  crimson,  she  ran  to  the 
chair  where  she  had  laid  her  waist  and  her  straw  hat, 
seized  them  hurriedly,  and  shot  like  an  arrow  through  the 
little  side-door  into  the  second  studio. 

The  sculptor  tried  to  follow  her,  but  had  to  turn  back 
at  the  bolted  door.  Vexed  and  annoyed,  he  turned  again 
to  Felix,  who  had  let  the  girl  pass  almost  unnoticed  in 
the  demonstrative  recognition  he  received  from  the  dog. 
The  powerful  animal  had  come  leaping  toward  him  with 
all  the  liveliness  of  his  younger  days,  had  rested  his 
heavy  paws  on  his  old  friend's  breast,  barking  hoarsely 
the  while,  and  seemed  unwilling  to  let  him  go  again. 

"  Do  you  really  know  me  still,  true  old  soul  ?  "  cried 
the  young  man,  patting  the  dog's  great  head,  and  looking 
with  real  emotion  into  the  faithful  old  fellow's  large  eyes, 
already  grown  a  little  dim. — "  See,  Hans,  with  what  em- 
pressement  he  receives  me  !  But  what  have  I  done  to 
vex  the  little  girl  ?  Is  it  the  custom  here  in  your  blessed 
land  of  free  art  for  models  to  set  themselves  up  as  exam- 
ples of  propriety  ?  " 

"  This  is  rather  a  peculiar  case,"  answered  Jansen, 
with  some  vexation.  "  It  was  only  after  long  hesitation 
that  she  did  me  the  favor  to  stand  as  a  model  at  all ;  and 
I  shall  be  hard  put  to  it  now  to  make  the  shy  thing  so 
tame  again.  She  has  neither  father  nor  mother — at  least, 
so  she  says.     I  used  often  to  meet  her  on  her  way  to  an 


4a  IN    PARADISE. 

artificial-flower  factory,  where  she  works  hard  to  support 
herself.  Her  figure  attracted  me ;  and  the  little  pert- 
nosed  thing  did  not  look  as  though  her  ideas  were  very 
rigidly  conventional.  But  she  would  have  nothing  to  say 
to  it,  although,  as  I  look  older  than  I  am,  I  have  made 
much  shyer  2>eople  trust  me.  Finally,  though,  my  last 
resort  helped  me  here,  as  it  had  before." 

"  Your  last  resort  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  the  remark  that,  after  all,  the  matter  really 
was  not  worth  so  much  trouble  as  I  had  given  to  it ;  and 
perhaps,  on  the  whole,  she  was  wise  in  only  Abashing  to 
show  her  figure  with  the  aid  of  dress.  This  was  too 
much  for  the  vain  little  creature,  and  she  consented  to 
come  as  a  model — but  no  one  but  myself  must  ever  enter 
the  studio.  I  thoughtlessly  broke  this  agreement  to-day 
in  admitting  you." 

Felix  stepped  before  the  statue  of  the  Bacchante. 

"  Unless  you  have  greatly  flattered  her,  you  are  to  be 
congi-atulated  on  finding  so  good  a  one,"  he  said.  "  And, 
as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  see  in  to-day's  wanderings 
through  the  town,  you  must  have  every  reason  to  be  satis- 
fied with  most  of  the  figures  you  can  find  here." 

Jansen  did  not  answer.  He  seemed  to  be  absorbed  in 
gazing  at  his  friend,  who  happened  to  be  standing  at  the 
moment  in  a  most  favorable  light.  Then,  muttering  to 
himself,  he  went  over  to  the  cupboard  in  which  the  girl 
had  been  rummaging,  searched  a  while  in  its  compart- 
ments, and  at  last  came  back  to  Felix,  hiding  behind  him 
a  great  pair  of  shears.  The  young  man  still  stood  ab- 
sorbed in  admiration  of  the  Bacchante. 

"  Before  we  do  anything  else,  ray  dear  boy,"  said  the 
sculptor,  "  you  must  allow  me  to  crop  this  hair  of  yours 
into  a  more  rational  shape.     Sit  down  there  on  that  stool. 


IN    PARADISE.  43 

In  less  than  five  minutes  we  shall  have  it  all  arranged  ; 
and  that  neck  of  yours,  that  looks  like  the  neck  of  the 
Borghese  Gladiator — the  very  best  point  about  you — will 
be  got  out  of  all  this  thicket." 

At  first  Felix  laughingly  refused  ;  but  finally  he  sub- 
mitted ;  and  his  friend's  skillful  hand  cropped  his  long 
hau-,  and  trimmed  his  full  beard  more  closely, 

"  There  !  "  said  Jansen.  "  Kow  a  man  needn't  be 
ashamed  to  be  seen  with  j  ou.  And,  as  a  reward  for  this 
submission,  I  will  show  you  something  that  until  now 
very  few  mortal  eyes  have  had  the  privilege  of  seeing." 

He  approached  the  great  veiled  group  in  the  middle 
of  the  studio,  and  began  cautiously  to  unwi'ap  the  damp 
cloths  in  which  the  work  was  everywhere  enveloped. 

The  figure  of  a  youth  appeared,  of  more  than  mortal 
strength  and  stature,  lying  stretched  upon  the  ground  in 
an  attitude  of  perfect  and  natural  grace  and  beauty. 
Sleep  seemed  to  have  just  left  his  eyes  ;  for  he  lay  with 
his  head  a  little  raised,  leaning  upon  his  right  arm,  and 
passing  the  left  across  his  forehead  as  though  to  clear 
away  the  mists  of  some  deep  dream.  Before  him — or  be- 
hind him,  as  it  appeared  to  the  spectator — knelt  upon  one 
knee  a  youthful  female  figure,  bending  over  him  in  a  pos- 
ture of  innocent  wonder.  This  figure  was  much  less  ad- 
vanced toward  completion  than  that  of  its  male  compan- 
ion— there  being,  indeed,  scarcely  anything  left  to  do  on 
the  latter  excepting  a  little  delicate  work  upon  the  luxu- 
riant hair  and  the  hands  and  feet.  And  yet,  though  the 
lines  of  the  woman's  figure  were  still  almost  in  the  rough, 
and  her  beautiful  form  seemed  only  the  fruit  of  a  few 
days'  labor,  the  modeling  of  the  whole  was  so  broad  and 
strong,  the  bend  of  the  neck  and  the  postm*e  of  the  arms 
were  so  expressive,  that  no  one  could  fail  to  catch  the  full 


44  /-'V    PARADISE. 

force  of  the  wliole,  even  from  the  unfinished  work,  and  to 
see  that  the  two  figures  were  worthy  of  one  another,  and 
of  equal  birth, 

Felix  uttered  an  exclamation  of  delight.  Then,  for  a 
full  quarter  of  an  hour,  he  stood  motionless  before  the 
mighty  group,  and  seemed  altogether  to  forget  the  sculis- 
tor  in  his  work. 

At  length  the  dog,  which  came  beside  him  and  began 
again  to  lick  his  hand,  aroused  him  from  his  reverie. 

"  The  old-time  Hans  still  lives  !  "  he  cried,  turning  to 
Jansen.  "  And  more  than  that — this  is  for  the  first  time 
the  complete,  genuine  Dasdalus,  who  has  thoroughly 
learned  to  use  his  wings.  Listen,  old  boy  ;  it  is  gradually 
dawning  upon  me  that  I  must  have  been  altogether  mad 
and  absurd  when  I  introduced  myself  to  you  as  a  kind  of 
fellow-artist ! " 

"  You  shall  go  to  the  art-club  to-morrow,  and  gather 
new  courage  when  you  see  some  of  your  other  colleagues," 
said  Jansen,  dryly.  "  However,  I  am  glad  the  thing 
pleases  you.  You  remember  how  I  used  to  dwell  on  the 
germ  of  the  idea  of  this  work  years  ago.  The  First 
Man  face  to  face  with  the  First  Woman — hardly  daring 
as  yet  to  actually  touch  the  being  who  for  the  first  time 
makes  his  human  existence  full  and  complete  ;  while 
she — more  mature  already,  as  a  woman  is,  and  having  had 
time  while  he  slept  to  recover  from  her  first  surprise — feels 
herself  drawn  by  a  strange  and  joyful  yearning  to  him 
who  is  to  be  her  lord,  and  to  call  forth  for  the  first  time 
her  true  woman's  nature.  It  is  a  subject  that  stirs  one  to 
the  core  ;  it  touches  all  that  is  deep  and  sacred  in  a  man's 
fancy  ;  and  yet  it  is  not  impossible  to  reproduce  it  with  the 
means  our  art  affords.  I  have  made  more  than  one  study 
of  it,  and  yet  not  satisfied  myself.    It  was  only  this  spring, 


IN    PARADISE.  45 

when  I  realized  one  day,  to  my  horror,  how  this  wretched 
business  next  door  —  this  money -getting  and  trying  to 
please  priests  and  women — was  threatening  to  demoralize 
me,  that  for  three  weeks  I  never  set  foot  in  my  saint-factory, 
but  locked  myself  in  here  and  expanded  my  soul  again 
with  this  work.  I  know  that  I  am  only  doing  it  for  my- 
self and  for  a  little  group  of  true  friends,  as  restless  as  I  am. 
Where  could  I  put  such  a  thing  as  that  nowadays  ?  True 
Art  is  homeless  and  without  a  place  to  lay  her  head.  A 
dancing  Bacchante  is  sure  to  find  a  lover  in  some  rich  man 
who  will  put  her  in  some  niche  in  his  salo7i,  and  think 
when  he  looks  at  her  of  the  ballet-girls  who  have  been  his 
associates.  But  Adam  and  Eve,  before  their  fall,  in  all 
their  rude  and  vigorous  strength,  with  the  fragrance  of 
the  fresh  earth  lingering,  as  it  were,  about  them — they 
are  as  useless  for  a  decoration  as  they  would  be  for  the 
altar  of  a  chapel.  Even  their  heroic  proportions  would 
pass  for  brutal !  But,  after  all,  they  are  my  old  favorites  ; 
and,  if  they  please  me,  to  whom  does  it  matter  ?  " 

Felix  did  not  answer.  He  was  again  absorbed  in  ga- 
zing at  the  group. 

"  A  good  friend  of  mine,  whose  acquaintance  you  will 
soon  make,  by  the  way,"  continued  the  sculptor,  "  one 
Schnetz,  who  likes  to  play  the  Thersites,  advised  me  to 
put  a  fusilier's  uniform  on  Adam,  and  make  Eve  into  a 
sister  of  charity,  with  a  medicine-glass  and  spoon  in  her 
hand.  Then  the  group  would  perhaps  be  adopted  to  or- 
nament the  pediment  of  some  hospital.  His  satire  on  the 
present  condition  of  our  art  was  so  true  that  I  had  almost 
a  mind  to  try  it  for  a  joke.  My  first  man  and  woman, 
without  an  inkling  of  all  the  ills  of  our  pestilential  cen- 
tury, enthroned  over  the  door  of  a  lazaretto — what  do  you 
say  to  that  as  a  piece  of  colossal  humor  ?  " 


46  I^    PARADISE. 

"  Only  finish  it,  Hans  !  "  cried  the  younger  man. 
"  Dream  out  your  dream,  and  I  will  vouch  for  it  that,  how- 
ever stupidly  and  sleepily  men  are  plodding  on,  this  light- 
ning-stroke of  genius  will  dash  the  scales  from  their  eyes  ! 
Why  haven't  you  made  more  progress  with  your  Eve  ?  " 

"  Because  I  have  never  yet  found  a  model  ;  and  be- 
cause I  will  not  botch  my  work  by  mere  patching  together 
of  my  own  recollections,  or  by  the  last  resort  of  borrowing 
from  the  Venus  of  Milo,  Ah,  my  dear  fellow — the  fine 
figures  you  think  you  saw  in  the  streets  to-day — psha  ! 
you'll  soon  think  otherwise.  The  German  corset-makers, 
the  school-room  benches,  and  the  miserable  food  we  live 
on,  may  possibly  leave  enough  of  dear  old  Nature  for  me 
to  make  a  laughing-doll  out  of,  like  my  dancer  there  ;  but 
a  future  mother  of  mankind,  untouched  as  yet  by  any 
breath  of  want  or  degradation,  and  fresh  from  the  hand 
of  her  Creator — what  do  you  think  our  professional  models 
would  say  to  that — or  the  seamstresses  or  flower-girls  that 
money  or  persuasion  can  induce  to  enter  the  service  of  art  ? 
If  it  were  a  Roman,  now,  or  a  Greek,  or  any  untamed 
child  of  Nature  who  had  grown  up  under  a  happier  heaven 
than  ours  !  And  that  is  what  makes  the  ground  here 
fairly  burn  under  my  feet — and  if  they  were  not  fettered 
with  leaden  fetters — " 

He  suddenly  checked  himself,  and  a  dark  shadow 
passed  across  his  face  ;  but  Felix  shrunk  from  the  efl:'ort 
to  draw  from  him  by  a  question  any  confidence  beyond 
what  Jansen  offered  willingly. 

At  this  moment  the  clock  in  a  neighboring  tower  struck 
twelve  ;  and  for  a  f cav  moments  the  bells  for  mid-day  ser- 
vice filled  the  pause  that  had  interrupted  the  talk  of  the 
two  friends. 

The  sculptor  began  to  wrap  up  the  group  again,  after 


IN    PARADISE.  47 

he  had  given  it  a  thorough  sprinkling.  And  then,  while 
Felix  examined  in  silence  the  other  sculptures,  many  of 
which  were  familiar,  he  went  to  a  wash-stand  in  a  corner, 
where  he  washed  the  traces  of  the  clay  from  his  hands  and 
face,  and  exchanged  his  working-blouse  for  a  light  sum- 
iner-coat. 

"  And  now,"  said  he,  as  he  finished  his  toilette — "  now 
you  shall  go  with  me  to  our  high  mass — one  that  we  never 
miss  on  Sundays.  At  the  stroke  of  twelve  we  working- 
bees  forsake  our  hives,  and  swarm  to  that  great  flower- 
garden,  the  Pinakothek,  to  gather  our  store  of  wax  and 
honey  for  the  whole  week.  Do  you  hear  the  door  slam 
above  us?  That  is  my  neighbor  in  the  upper  story — a 
right  good  fellow,  by  the  name  of  Maximilian  Rosenbusch, 
but  called  '  Rosebud '  for  short  by  his  friends.  An  excel- 
lent youngster,  not  in  the  least  cut  out  by  Nature  for  a 
desperado — ^but  rather  inclined,  on  the  contrary,  to  all  the 
more  delicate  pursuits  of  the  muses.  He  is  suspected  of 
being  secretly  engaged  on  a  volume  of  '  Poems  to  Spring,' 
and  you  could  have  heard  his  flute  up-stairs  an  hour  ago. 
But  at  the  same  time  he  paints  the  most  tremendous  bat- 
tle-pieces— generally  in  Wallenstein  or  Swedish  costume — 
battles  of  the  bloodiest  sort,  and  where  there  is  no  quar- 
ter. In  the  studio  next  to  his  lives  a  Fraulein,  a  thor- 
oughly estimable  woman,  and  by  no  means  a  despicable 
artist.  Among  her  friends  she  goes  by  the  name  of  An- 
gelica, but  her  real  name  is  Minna  Engelken.  This  good 
creature — but  there  they  come  now  down  the  stairs.  You 
can  make  their  acquaintance  at  once." 


48  IN   PARADISE. 


CHAPTER   V. 

It  was  certainly  an  odd  pair  that  they  found  waiting 
in  the  yard.  The  battle-painter,  an  animated  young  fel- 
low, with  a  clear,  bright,  rosy  complexion,  wore  an  enor- 
mous gray  felt  hat,  with  a  small  cock's-feather  in  the 
band  ;  and  an  abundant  red  beard,  that  looked  as  queerly 
against  his  pink-and-white  face  as  though  a  girl  had  tied 
a  false  beard  round  her  chin,  in  the  attempt  to  disguise 
herself  as  a  brigand.  Looking  at  the  face  closely,  there  was 
a  decidedly  spirited  and  manly  look  in  the  clear  blue  eyes, 
while  a  merry  laugh  lurked  constantly  about  the  mobile 
mouth.  Beside  him,  his  companion — though  she  was  ap- 
parently still  under  thirty — seemed  almost  as  though  she 
might  be  his  mother,  there  was  such  a  weighty  serious- 
ness and  prompt  decision  in  her  movements.  She  had  one 
of  those  faces  in  which  one  never  sees  whether  they  are 
pretty  or  ugly  ;  her  mouth  was  a  little  large,  perhaps  ; 
her  eyes  were  bright  and  full  of  life,  and  her  figure  was 
rather  short  and  thickset.  She  wore  her  hair  cut  short 
under  a  simple  Leghorn  hat ;  but  in  the  rest  of  her  dress 
thei'e  was  nothing  esijecially  conspicuous. 

Jansen  introduced  Felix,  and  a  few  commonplaces 
were  exchanged.  After  her  first  glance  at  him,  Angelica 
whispered  something  to  the  sculptor  that  evidently  related 
to  the  stately  figure  of  his  friend,  and  its  likeness  to  the 
bust  she  had  seen  in  his  studio.  Then  all  four  strolled 
along  the  Schwanthalerstrasse,  followed  by  the  dog,  which 
kept  close  behind  Felix,  and  from  time  to  time  rubbed 
its  nose  against  his  hand. 

They  stopped  before  a  pretty  one-story  house  in  the 


IN    PARADISE.  49 

suburb,  standing  in  the  middle  of  a  neatly-kept  garden. 
Rosenbusch  took  his  flute  out  of  his  pocket,  and  jjlayed 
the  beginning  of  the  air  "Bei  Mannern,  welche  Liebe 
ftihlen."  But  nothing  stirred  in  the  house,  although  the 
upper  windows  were  only  closed  with  blinds,  and  every 
note  rang  out  far  and  clear  in  the  hot  noonday  air. 

'*  Fat  Rossel  is  either  asleep  or  else  he  pretends  he  is, 
so  as  to  shirk  our  high  mass  again,"  said  the  painter, 
putting  up  his  flute.     "  I  think  we  had  better  go  on." 

'^  Andianio/"  said  Angelica,  nodding.  (She  had  once 
passed  a  year  in  Italy,  and  certain  everyday  Italian  phrases 
had  a  way  of  slipping  involuntarily  from  her  lips  every 
minute  or  two.) 

The  conversation,  as  they  strolled  on,  was  not  exactly 
animated.  Jansen  seemed  to  be  lost  in  thought ;  long 
silences  were  a  habit  of  his,  and,  especially  when  there 
were  several  people  about  him,  he  could  remain  for  hours 
apparently  without  the  least  interest  in  what  was  going 
on.  And  then,  if  something  that  was  said  happened  to 
kindle  a  spark  in  him,  his  eloquence  seemed  all  the  more 
surprising.  Felix  knew  him  well,  and  made  no  attempt 
to  disturb  his  abstracted  mood.  He  looked  about  him  as 
he  walked,  and  tried  to  recognize  the  streets  that  he  had 
first  strolled  through,  long  before,  in  one  of  his  vacation 
journeys.  Nor  did  Rosenbusch  seem  to  be  in  a  particu- 
larly talkative  frame  of  mind  ;  and  only  Angelica,  who 
had  a  way  of  assuming  a  certain  chafiing  tone  toward 
him,  and  besides  was  out  of  humor  because,  as  she  said, 
she  had  got  "  into  a  blind  alley "  with  one  of  her  pict- 
ures, kept  up  a  fire  of  little  sarcasms  and  ridicule  against 
her  neighbor.  She  even  adopted  the  familiarity  of  call- 
ing him  by  his  nickname,  but  not  without  putting  a 
"  Herr  "  before  it. 
4 


50  IN    PARADISE. 

"  Do  you  know,  Herr  Rosebud,  when  you're  compos- 
ing a  picture,  you  ought  to  repeat  your  poems  instead  of 
playing  the  flute  ?  I  know  it  would  inspire  you  a  great 
deal  more,  and  your  neighbors  would  suffer  less.  Now, 
to-day,  for  instance,  I  put  some  carmine  on  a  whole  group 
of  childi-en  I  was  painting,  and  spoiled  it,  just  because 
that  everlasting  adagio  of  yours  had  made  me  so  senti- 
mental." 

"  Why  didn't  you  pound  on  the  door,  then,  my  hon- 
ored friend,  as  we  agreed,  and  then  I  would  have  '  ceased 
my  cruel  sport  ? '  " 

"  If  it  hadn't  been  Sunday,  and  I  hadn't  said  to  my- 
self it  will  soon  be  twelve  o'clock,  and  then  he'll  stop 
anyhow — .  But  see  that  sweet  little  gii'l  in  the  carriage 
— the  one  with  the  blue  hat,  next  to  the  young  man — it's 
a  bridal  couple,  surely  !  What  eyes  she  has  !  And  how 
she  laughs,  and  throws  herself  back  in  the  carriage  like  a 
thoughtless  child  !  " 

She  had  stopped  in  the  street  in  her  ecstasy,  and  im- 
pulsively imitated  the  gesture  of  the  girl  who  was  driving 
by,  bending  back  and  crossing  her  arms  behind  her  head. 
The  friends  stood  still  and  laughed. 

"  I  must  beg  of  you,  Angelica,  calm  your  enthusiasm," 
growled  Rosenbusch  ;  "  you  forget  that  not  only  God 
and  your  artistic  friends  are  looking  at  you,  but  profane 
eyes  also,  that  can't  imagine  what  you  are  di'iving  at  with 
your  rather  reckless  studies  of  posture." 

"  You  are  right,"  said  the  little  painter,  casting  a 
scared  glance  about  her,  but  somewhat  relieved  to  find 
that  the  sti-eet  was  deserted.  "  It's  a  silly  habit  of  mine, 
that  I  have  fought  against  from  a  child.  My  parents 
gave  up  taking  me  to  the  theatre  because  they  said  I  al- 
ways went  through   too  many  contortions  over  what  I 


I^    PARADISS.  51 

saw.  But,  when  anything  excites  me,  I  always  forget  my 
best  resolutions  to  maintain  my  composure  and  dignity. 
When  you  come  to  see  my  studio,  baron,"  she  said,  turn- 
ing to  Felix,  "I  hope  you  -will  bear  me  witness  that  I 
know  how  to  keep  within  bounds  on  canvas  at  least," 

"It  is  comical,"-  she  continued,  as  no  one  answered, 
"what  singular  neighbors  we  are.  Here  Rosebud,  who 
looks  so  gentle  and  innocent,  as  if  he  could  not  kill  a  fly, 
wades  ankle-deep  in  blood  every  day,  and  isn't  happy 
unless,  like  a  new  Hotspur,  he  can  kill  at  least  fourteen 
Pappenheiraer  cuirassiers  with  oil  in  a  morning.  And  I — 
Avhose  best  friends  have  to  confess  that  the  Graces  didn't 
stand  beside  my  cradle — I  bother  myself  over  fragrant 
flower-pieces  and  laughing  children's  faces,  and  then  read 
in  the  reviews  that  I  should  do  well  to  take  up  subjects 
that  have  more  body  to  them  !  " 

So  she  ran  on  for  a  while,  without  sparing  herself  or  her 
companions  in  her  jokes — yet  without  the  least  rudeness 
or  old-maidish  bitterness  in  her  talk.  A  certain  element 
of  womanly  coquetry  showed  now  and  then  in  her  frank, 
honest  speeches — an  attempt  to  caricature  herself  and  her 
faults  and  follies,  so  that  she  might  be  taken,  after  all,  at 
a  little  higher  value  than  her  own  exaggerations  gave  her 
credit  for.  But  even  this  was  done  so  good-naturedly 
that  any  gallant  speeches  that  her  companions  might  try 
to  make  were  genei*ally  smothered  in  laughter.  Felix  was 
greatly  attracted  by  her  cleverness  and  droll  good-humor; 
and,  as  he  showed  clearly  how  they  amused  him,  her  mood 
grew  all  the  merrier,  and  one  jest  followed  another  so  that 
the  long  walk  seemed  very  short  to  all  of  them,  and  they 
stood  at  the  door  of  the  Pinakothek  before  they  realized 
that  they  had  come  so  far. 

"  And  here.  Baron,  we  must  bid  one  another  good-by 


52  /-^    PARADISE. 

for  the  present,"  said  the  painter.  "  You  must  know  that 
in  this  art-temple  of  ours  we  behave  like  good  Catholics 
in  their  churches.  Each  kneels  before  a  different  altar;  I 
before  St.  Huysum  and  Rachel  Ruysch;  Herr  Rosebud  be- 
fore his  Wouvermans;  Herr  Jansen  before  Saints  Peter 
and  Paul ;  and  Homo  stays  outside,  in  silent  converse  with 
the  stone  lions  on  the  steps.  I  hope  I  shall  soon  have  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  you  in  my  studio.  Don't  let  yourself 
be  alarmed  by  these  two  malicious  gentlemen  with  the 
idea  that  I  shall  try  to  capture  you  for  a  sitter.  I  must 
paint  your  portrait  some  time,  of  course — it  is  a  fate  you 
cannot  escape;  but  my  brush  is  by  no  means  so  presumptu- 
ous as  these  wicked  men  will  try  to  represent  it.  When 
you  are  a  little  more  at  home  among  us,  perhaps;  but  now 
— good -by  !  " 

She  nodded  to  the  others,  and  disappeared  into  a  side 
hall,  into  which  Rosenbusch  also  retreated,  after  a  short 
stay  among  the  old  German  masters. 

"We  don't  enforce  this  separation  very  rigidly,  of 
course,"  said  Jansen,  smiling.  "  But  we  have  found  out 
that  when  we  all  go  together  we  cannot  bring  ourselves 
into  a  really  proper  mood  for  study  ;  we  neither  learn  nor 
enjoy.  At  best,  we  only  get  into  a  discussion  of  technical 
points — problems  of  color  and  secrets  of  the  palette,  which 
are  especially  ununportant  to  me,  as  I  make  no  use  of  that 
kind  of  thing," 

"But  why  do  not  you  prefer  to  hold  your  Sunday 
solemnities  before  the  Medusa  or  the  Barberini  Faun  ?  " 
said  Felix. 

"  Because  I  know  the  Glyptothek  by  heart.  And  be- 
sides, I  do  not  believe  that  what  we  ought  to  look  at  in 
the  works  of  the  great  masters  is  the  purely  artistic  side, 
if  we  want  to  profit  by  their  study.     Every  one  who  has 


IN    PARADISE.  53 

passed  his  apprenticeship  has  his  own  ideas  and  prejudices 
and  obstinacies  on  those  points.  What  we  ought  to  get 
from  them  are  characteristics  ;  force,  refinement,  and  con- 
tempt for  small  means  used  to  small  ends.  But  these  I 
can  learn  just  as  well  from  a  symphony  of  Beethoven  as 
from  a  noble  building — from  a  gallery  of  paintings  as 
from  a  tragedy  of  Shakespeare  ;  and  then  next  day  I  can 
turn  them  to  account  in  my  own  work.  And  it  is  just 
these  things  that  Rubens  gives  me  better  than  any  other 
here — Rubens,  whose  works  fill  this  whole  room.  As  soon 
as  I  come  near  him,  he  makes  me  forget  all  the  photo- 
graphic pettiness,  the  fashionable  rubbish  and  '  art-associa- 
tion '  absurdities  of  our  own  day." 

"  Tell  me  yourself,"  he  continued,  pointing  to  the  walls 
of  the  Rubens  room,  "  do  not  you  too  feel  as  though  you 
were  in  your  tropical  wildernesses  again,  where  Nature 
hardly  knows  how  to  restrain  her  overflowing  vigor,  and 
where  all  that  moves  or  grows  seems  fairly  intoxicated 
with  its  own  abounding  strength  ?  Here,  no  one  dreams 
that  there  is  an  everyday,  prosaic  life  outside,  that  presses 
all  created  things  into  its  service — men  serving  the  State, 
women  mere  family  beasts  of  burden,  horses  harnessed  to 
the  plough — and  only  suffers  untamed  animals  to  exist  in 
its  midst  when  they  are  on  show  in  zoological  gardens  or 
fair-booths.  Here  the  whole  glorious  creation  swarms  un- 
adorned and  vigorous  as  on  the  seventh  day  after  chaos  ; 
and  all  that  we  conceal  and  pamper  in  our  dapper  civiliza- 
tion appears  here  in  all  innocence  in  the  open  light  of  day. 
Look  at  this  brown,  lusty  peasant  and  this  beautiful  wo- 
man— these  sleeping  nymphs  watched  by  the  satyrs — this 
glorious  throng  of  the  blessed  and  the  damned — all  this 
unveiled  humanity  is  living  and  acting  for  itself  alone, 
and  never  dreams  whether  prudish  and  pedantic  fools  are 


54  ly    PARADISE. 

looking  on  and  taking  umbrage  at  it.  You  know  that 
nothing  is  really  good  or  bad  in  itself;  it  is  only  the 
power  of  thinking  about  it  that  makes  it  so.  And  these 
creatures  have  never  troubled  themselves  with  thinking. 
They  are  enjoying  life  fully  and  overflowingly — like  the 
fat  little  satyr's  wife  above  there,  nursing  her  twins — or 
they  are  absorbed  in  the  sharp  struggle  for  existence. 
Look  at  this  lion-hunt !  Horace  Vemet,  who  wielded  no 
unskillful  brush,  has  painted  one  too.  But  just  there  you 
can  see  the  contrast  between  great  art  and  petty  art. 
Here  everything  is  mingled  in  a  raging  turmoil,  so  that 
there  is  not  a  hand's  breadth  between — here  is  the  very 
instant  of  highest  conflict,  the  climax  of  struggle  and  de- 
fense, fury  and  death  — every  muscle  strained  to  its  ut- 
most, and  everything  in  such  deadly  yet  triumphant  earn- 
est that  one  trembles  and  yet  is  filled  with  the  spirit  of 
victory.  For  all  true  strength  is  full  of  a  certain  triumph- 
ant joy.  But  the  French  picture  is  like  a  tableau  in  a 
circus,  where,  in  spite  of  all  the  grimacing  and  posturing, 
there  is  no  real  struggle  d  Voutrance.  And  look  at  the 
purely  artistic  side ;  here  all  the  outlines  are  so  melted 
into  one  another,  so  lost  in  each  other  in  spite  of  the 
Btrongest  contrasts,  that  they  necessarily  lead  the  eye  into 
a  network  from  which  it  cannot  escape,  where  it  never  has 
an  opportunity  to  wish  for  anything  else,  or  indeed  to 
think  that  anything  else  is  possible.  A  skillful  modem 
artist,  going  to  work  with  his  patchwork  of  knowledge  on 
the  various  subjects,  could  not  possibly  produce  such  a 
work.  You  will  always  find  holes  and  gaps — stiff  trian- 
gles and  hexagons  between  the  legs  of  the  horses,  and  the 
figures  kept  apart  as  nicely  and  neatly  as  though  they  were 
going  to  be  packed  up  in  their  cases  again  after  it  was  all 
over." 


IN    PARADISE.  55 

He  stood  a  good  half  hour  before  the  lion-hunt,  look- 
ing at  it  as  though  for  the  first  time.  And  then,  as  though 
tearing  himself  away  with  difficulty,  he  took  Felix  by  the 
arm  and  said,  "  You  know  I  am  no  mere  fanatical  doc- 
trinaire. Nobody  can  have  more  respect  for  the  other 
great  artists  of  the  golden  age.  But  still  it  always  seems 
to  me  as  though  I  did  not  find,  even  in  the  greatest  and 
most  immortal  of  them,  a  true  balance  between  art  and 
Nature.  There  is  always  an  excess  of  technical  aim  over 
unaffected  seeing  and  feeling — an  excess  of  '  can '  over 
'  must.'  Even  with  Raphael  (whom,  it  is  true,  they  say 
one  doesn't  really  know  until  one  has  seen  his  work  in 
Rome),  I  feel  a  too  great  excess  of  the  purely  spiritual 
and  abstract  over  the  sensuous.  And  with  the  glorious 
Titian  and  the  Venetians,  this  paradisaic  naturalness,  this 
effortless  flow  of  beauty  from  an  exhaustless  soil,  this 
breathing  forth  of  pure  and  unadulterated  force  and  free- 
dom, is  only  found  in  their  greatest  moments  ;  while  this 
man,  like  the  immortal  gods,  seems  never  to  have  known 
an  hour  of  poverty  or  insufficiency." 

He  talked  on  in  this  fashion  for  some  time,  as  though 
to  pour  out  his  heart  before  his  friend.  But  just  as  they 
were  standing  before  the  little  picture  of  Rubens  and  his 
beautiful  young  wife  in  the  garden,  walking  beside  a  bed 
of  tulips,  they  heard  Angelica's  voice  behind  them. 

"  I  cannot  help  it,  gentlemen  ;  you  must  tear  yourselves 
away  from  this  well-fed  domestic  happiness  and  these  te- 
dious box-hedges,  and  come  with  me.  I  have  something 
to  show  you  that  is  quite  as  much  a  masterpiece  of  its 
kind.  Please  have  confidence  in  my  artistic  eye  for  this 
once,  and  come  quickly,  before  tlie  miracle  disappears 
again." 

"What  is  this  beautiful  thing  you  have  discovered, 


56  IN   PARADISE 

Fraulein  ?  "  asked  Felix,  laughing,  "  that  instantly  vanish- 
es again  if  one  is  not  immediately  on  the  watch  ?  " 

"Something  that  is  alive — but  hardly  according  to 
your  taste,  as  I  imagine  it,"  answered  the  painter.  "  But 
our  master  there — " 

"  A  beautiful  woman  ?  " 

"  Ah  !  and  what  a  woman  !  I  have  followed  her  about 
like  a  young  Don  Juan  ever  since  we  have  been  here,  and 
looked  askance  at  her  as  I  stood  before  the  pictures.  She 
seems  to  be  a  little  near-sighted — at  least  she  half  shuts 
her  eyelids  when  she  looks  intently  at  anything  ;  and  she 
looks  at  the  upper  row  of  pictures  through  a  lorgnette.  A 
blonde — and  a  face,  I  tell  you — and  a  figure  ! — just  what 
you  call  Portament,  Jansen — the  kind  of  thing  that  grows 
much  oftener  in  Trastevere  than  among  our  German 
oaks." 

"  And  why  don't  you  give  me  credit,  too,  for  enough 
taste  to  do  this  lady  justice  ?  "  asked  Felix. 

"  Because — well,  because  you  are  a  trifle  young,  and — 
thus  far  at  least — you  are  not  an  artist.  This  beauty  of 
mine  is  far  from  being  conspicuous  or  attracting  attention 
— like  everything  really  great.  I  will  wager,  Baron,  that 
you  find  my  enthusiasm  exaggerated.  These  polished 
checks  and  temples,  and  the  poise  of  the  head  on  the 
neck  and  the  neck  on  the  shoulders,  and  the  whole  figure 
— neither  too  full  nor  too  slender — but  hush  !  I  believe  she 
is  standing  over  there  at  this  moment !  Yes,  it  is  she — the 
one  in  the  raw  silk,  with  the  broad,  somewhat  antiquated 
straw-hat  set  back  upon  her  head — doesn't  it  look  almost 
like  a  halo  ?  Well,  Jansen  ?  Do  say  something  !  Gener- 
ally you  arc  so  extraordinarily  prompt  in  picking  flaws  in 
my  ideals." 

Jansen  had  paused,  and  had  coolly  turned  his  quiet, 


IN    PARADISE.  57 

clear  gaze  upon  the  lady,  who  stood,  entirely  unsuspicious 
of  scrutiny,  a  few  alcoves  away  from  them,  and  turned 
her  full  face  toward  the  observing  party,  Angelica  had 
not  said  too  much.  Her  figure  was  of  rare  grace  and 
majesty,  as  her  light  summer-dress  showed  its  beautiful 
outlines  clearly  against  the  dark  background  ;  her  head, 
thrown  back  a  little,  hardly  moved  upon  the  slender, 
graceful  neck,  and  her  hat  allowed  its  form  to  be  all  the 
more  distinctly  seen,  as  she  wore  her  soft,  light  hair  sim- 
ply parted,  and  falling  in  a  few  curls  upon  her  shoul- 
ders. Her  face  was  not  striking  at  first  glance  ;  quiet, 
steel-gray  eyes,  concealing  their  brilliancy  behind  the 
slightly  closed  lids  ;  a  mouth  not  exactly  full  or  rosy,  but 
of  the  most  beautiful  form  and  full  of  character  ;  and  a 
chin  and  neck  worthy  of  an  antique  statue.  She  seemed 
so  completely  absorbed  in  the  study  of  the  gallery  that 
she  did  not  look  up  as  the  friends  approached  her.  It 
was  only  when  they  entered  the  alcove,  and  Angelica  be- 
gan to  express  her  wild  admiration  (quite  secretly,  she 
imagined,  but  really  loud  enough  to  be  plainly  audible), 
that  the  stranger  suddenly  noticed  them.  With  a  slight 
blush,  she  drew  about  her  shoulders  the  white  shawl 
that  had  hung  carelessly  about  her  waist — as  though  to 
shield  her  from  these  curious  eyes — cast  an  annoyed 
glance  at  the  whispering  painter,  and  left  the  alcove. 

"  See  how  she  moves — a  queenly  walk  !  "  cried  Angel- 
ica, looking  after  her.  "  But  alas  !  I  have  driven  her  away. 
I  like  that  in  her,  too,  that  she  is  too  refined  to  let  herself 
be  stared  at.  Quanf  ^  bella  !  But  do  say  something,  Jan- 
sen  !  Have  you  suddenly  turned  into  a  statue,  or  has  the 
enchantment  worked  too  strongly  ?  " 

"  You  may  be  right,  Angelica,"  said  the  sculptor,  smil- 
ing.    "I  have  met  this  kind  of  phenomenal  being  here 


58  IN    PARADISE. 

now  and  then  ;  nncl,  as  they  were  always  strargers  (for 
you  never  see  a  native  of  Munich  in  the  Pinakothek), 
looking  at  them  was  always  but  a  fleeting  joy,  and  I  could 
only  gaze  after  them  as  they  went.  So  now  I  have  grown 
cautious.     You  know  *  a  burnt  child — '  " 

"  Nonsense  !  "  exclaimed  the  artist.  "  This  divine  be- 
ing may  be  a  stranger,  of  course,  but  no  one  studies  the 
pictures  so  closely  who  is  looking  at  them  for  the  first  and 
last  time,  only  to  carry  out  the  instructions  of  her  Baede- 
ker. What's  to  prevent  our  watching  her  again  ?  And, 
even  if  I  lose  all  to-morrow  forenoon  over  it,  and  let  my 
group  of  childi-en  dry  into  the  canvas,  I  must  study  this 
exquisite  creature  once  more,  and  at  leisure.  There — there 
she  is  again  !  Rosebud  is  just  passing  her,  and  starts  back 
as  if  he  had  met  the  Bella  di  Tiziano  in  person  !  See  how 
he  stares  after  her !  He  has  taste,  after  aU,  in  spite  of 
his  old  Swedes." 

And  now  the  little  battle-painter  came  hurrying  up  to 
his  friends,  and  began  to  tell  them  what  a  discovery  he 
had  made.     Angelica  laughed. 

"  You  come  too  late,  llerr  von  Rosebud  !  I  am  the 
one  to  whom  belongs  the  fame  of  having  discovered  this 
comet !  But  do  you  know  what  I  have  in  mind,  gentle- 
men ?  As  none  of  you  seem  to  be  inclined  to  follow  up 
this  adventure,  I,  as  the  least  suspicious  of  us  four,  will 
take  it  upon  myself  to  pursue  our  beauty,  and  see  if  I 
can  discover  whore  she  lives  and  who  she  is.  If  she  stays 
here  but  a  week,  she  shall  be  painted.  I  have  sworn  it ! 
And  whichever  of  you  is  particularly  good  shall  come  to 
the  last  sitting  ;  and  Ilcrr  Rosebud  hereby  receives  per- 
mission to  ])lay  lior  a  serenade  under  my  window.  Addio, 
slgnoril  To-morrow  you  shall  heai'  how  the  matter  turns 
out." 


IN    PARADISE.  59 

She  nodded  hurriedly  to  the  friends,  and  followed  the 
stranger,  who  had  in  the  mean  time  passed  through  the 
rooms,  and  was  now  preparing  to  leave  the  gallery. 

"  I'll  wager  she  does  it  !  "  said  Rosenbusch,  "  An  as- 
toundingly  resolute  woman  that,  and  absolutely  not  to  be 
stopped  when  an  enthusiasm  seizes  her  !  This  time  she 
really  has  made  a  devilish  remarkable  discovery  ;  but  you 
know  what  wonderful  beauties  she  has  tried  to  talk  up  to 
us  before — eh,  Jansen  ?  She  has  a  positive  mania  for  ad- 
miration, and,  when  she  is  possessed  by  it,  she  is  not  very 
fastidious  in  her  choice  of  subjects.  '  The  sea  rages,  and 
will  have  its  sacrifice  ! '  " 

The  sculptor  did  not  answer.  He  strolled  along  beside 
the  others  for  a  while,  silent  and  abstracted.  Then  he 
suddenly  said  :  "  Let  us  go  !  It  seems  as  though  the  art- 
sense  had  suddenly  disappeared  or  died  out  in  me.  Such 
a  perfect  piece  of  living  Nature  puts  to  shame  all  illusions 
of  color,  so  that  even  the  great  masters  seem  like  bunglers 
beside  it." 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Meanwhile  the  beautiful  unknown  had  slowly  de- 
scended the  steps  of  the  Pinakothek,  and  turned  in  the 
direction  of  the  Obelisk,  clearly  unconscious  of  the  fact 
that  twenty  paces  behind  her  an  enthusiastic  artist  was 
upon  her  track,  never  losing  sight  of  her  for  an  instant. 

And,  indeed,  it  was  a  rare  refreshment  to  the  eye  to 
look  upon  this  beautiful  figure  as  it  passed  along.  If  one 
may  talk  of  a  "silent  music  of  form,"  here  everything 
was  legato,  while  the  little  artist  was  in  a  perpetual  stac- 
cato movement.      The   stranger  moved   as   thousrh   she 


60  IN^    PARADISE. 

stepped  on  an  elastic  ground,  and  seemed  not  to  mind  the 
walk  in  the  least,  in  spite  of  the  oppressive  mid-day  heat. 
She  looked  neither  to  the  right  nor  left  ;  in  her  hands,  on 
■which  she  wore  half -gloves  of  black  net,  she  held  a  large 
green  fan,  which  she  opened  now  and  then  to  protect  her 
face  against  the  sun. 

Her  worshijDer  grew  more  enthusiastic  with  every  mo- 
ment, and  gave  utterance  to  her  feelings  in  muttered 
monologue,  sprinkled,  according  to  her  fashion,  with  Ital- 
ian interjections. 

At  length  she  saw  the  subject  of  her  admiration  turn 
to  the  left,  and  go  into  a  neat  house  on  the  Brienner- 
strasse.  Here,  she  .knew,  there  were  furnished  rooms  to 
let ;  so  the  stranger  must  have  arranged  for  a  consider- 
able stay  in  Munich.  But  how  to  get  at  her  ?  To  ring 
at  every  bell  in  the  two  stories,  and  ask  if  a  beautiful 
woman  in  yellow  silk  lived  there,  did  not  seem  veiy  prac- 
ticable. And  did  she  live  here,  after  all  ?  Might  she  not 
be  only  making  a  visit  ? 

The  painter  was  just  debating  whether  she  should 
walk  up  and  down  before  the  house  like  a  sentry,  when  a 
window  opened  in  the  corner-room  on  the  ground-floor, 
before  which  lay  a  little  garden  with  its  tall  shrubs  look- 
ing dry  and  dusty  in  the  mid-day  sun,  and  the  beauty 
leaned  out  to  shut  the  blind.  She  had  taken  off  her  hat, 
and  her  hair  was  a  little  disordered,  which  wonderfully 
added  to  her  beauty.  Without  hesitating  a  moment,  An- 
gelica mai'ched  through  the  little  path  past  the  garden, 
and  entered  the  vestibule. 

Her  ring  was  answered  by  a  very  old  servant  with  a 
white,  soldierly-looking  mustache,  and  dressed  in  a  long, 
silver-buttoned  livery-coat  that  reached  to  his  knees.  He 
eyed  the  visitor  suspiciously,  took  her  card,  on  which 


IN    PARADISE.  61 

there  was  nothing  but  "  Minna  Engelken,"  and  came  back 
at  once,  indicating  by  a  silent  nod  that  his  mistress  would 
receive  her. 

As  Angelica  entered  the  stranger  was  standing  in  the 
middle  of  the  room,  in  the  midst  of  the  warm,  greenish 
light  that  came  through  the  closed  blinds.  She  had  has- 
tily jDut  up  her  hair  again,  but  without  special  care  ;  and 
now  she  greeted  her  visitor  somewhat  coldly,  with  a 
scarcely  perceptible  nod  of  her  exquisite  head. 

"First  of  all,  I  must  introduce  myself  a  little  more 
fully  than  the  very  obscure  name  on  my  card  can  have 
done,"  began  the  artist,  without  the  slightest  trace  of  em- 
barrassment. (She  had  begun  immediately  upon  her  en- 
trance to  study  the  head,  as  though  at  a  regular  sitting.) 
"  I  am  a  painter  ;  that  is  the  sole  excuse  I  have  for  my 
intrusion  upon  you.  I  met  you  a  short  time  ago  at  the 
Pinakothek.  It  can  hardly  be  a  novelty  to  you  to  have 
people  stop  when  you  go  by,  or  even  follow  you.  But 
that  a  person  should  intrude  into  your  very  house  does 
seem  a  little  too  much.  My  honored  Fraulein,  or  should 
I  call  you  Madame  ?  "  (the  stranger  shook  her  head  slight- 
ly) "I  do  not  know  whether  you,  too,  have  a  prejudice 
against  women-artists  ?  If  you  have,  I  shall  certainly  ap- 
pear to  you  in  a  very  bad  light.  And  it  is  true,  I  must 
say  that  this  meddling  with  brushes  and  colors  doesn't 
particularly  become  many  of  my  colleagues.  Although 
the  nine  Muses  are  women,  our  sex  easily  get  by  associa- 
tion with  them  an  unwomanly  touch  that  is  not  by  any 
means  to  their  advantage, — Oh,  please  keep  that  position 
just  an  instant  ;  the  three-quarters  face  is  especially  ef- 
fective in  this  light !  Yes,  it  is  true,  Fraulein,  I  myself 
know  women-artists  who  think  it  is  prosaic  to  put  on  a 
clean  collar  or  darn  a  stocking.     And  yet — " 


6S  IJV    PARADISE. 

"  If  you  would  only  be  kind  enough  to  tell  me  the 
motive  of  your  visit — " 

"  I  was  just  coming  to  that.  I  had  really  a  double 
motive.  First,  to  beg  your  pardon  if  I  drove  you  away 
from  the  gallery  by  my  persistent  staring.  You  see,  my 
dear  Fraulein — oh,  please  bend  your  head  a  little — so  ! 
If  you  could  only  see  how  capital  that  is — that  chiar' 
oscuro — and  what  glorious  hair  you  have  !  I  see  you 
thLak  I  am  fairly  crazy,  treating  you  like  a  model  in  the 
first  ten  minutes  !  But  so  much  the  better  ;  you  will 
know  at  once  what  we  are  coming  to.  I  am  really,  you 
must  know,  not  quite  responsible  for  my  actions  when  I 
see  anything  that  greatly  delights  me  ;  and  however  lack- 
ing my  talents  may  be  in  the  power  to  produce  anything 
beautiful  from  mere  imagination,  I  have  attained  a  real 
mastery  in  the  discovery,  the  enjoyment,  and  admiration 
of  true  living  beauty.  The  moment  I  saw  you  afar  off- 
no,  you  must  not  turn  away,  dear  Fraulein.  How  can 
you  help  it,  and  what  sin  is  it,  if  an  honest  artist-soul — of 
your  own  sex,  too — expresses  its  delight  in  and  admira- 
tion for  your  beauty  ?  It  seems  petty  to  me,  the  way  that 
many  people  keep  such  a  gift  of  God  hidden — or  pretend 
to.  There  are  some  little  doll-like  faces,  it  is  true,  whose 
chief  charm  lies  in  the  fact  that  they  always  seem  to  be 
ashamed  of  their  own  prettiness.  But  you,  Fraulein — 
such  a  classic  head — please  turn  for  once  fully  round  tow- 
ard the  light — a  pure  Palma  Vecchio,  I  tell  you — " 

The  Fraulein  could  not  help  smiling,  and,  although 
she  blushed,  permitting  this  singular,  unrestrained,  form- 
less admiration.  "  I  confess,"  she  said,  "  that  I  have  been 
such  a  recluse  for  years,  only  busied  with  the  care  of  an 
invalid,  that  I  have  quite  fallen  out  of  practice  in  listening 
to  such  flatteries  and  wearing  the  fitting  expression  when 


IN    PARADISE.  63 

I  hear  them.  And  besides,  in  spite  of  hard  and  sad  expe- 
rience, I  am  still  young  and  foolish  enough  not  to  take 
offense  at  the  pleasure  you  seem  to  take  in  my  personal 
appearance.  But  if  you  would  only  tell  me — you  spoke 
of  a  double  motive." 

"  Thank  you  a  thousand  times,  dear,  dear  Friiulein  !  " 
cried  the  painter,  excitedly.  "  Every  word  you  say  con- 
firms me  in  the  opinion  I  formed  at  the  first  glance — that 
you  would  be  as  good  and  amiable  in  character  as  you 
were  beautiful  in  face  and  figure.  And  you  give  me  cour- 
age to  come  out  at  once  with  my  other  petition  :  I  should 
be  the  happiest  person  under  the  sun,  if  I  might  paint 
your  portrait. — Please  don't  be  alarmed,"  she  added,  hur- 
riedly. "  The  agony  is  brief — I  am  no  torturer.  If  you 
have  not  more  time  to  spare,  I  will  paint  you  alia  prhna — 
at  most  three  or  four  sittings — you  shall  not  be  able  to  com- 
plain of  me.  Of  course  I  can't  ask  that  you  will  let  me 
have  the  picture  ;  but  you  will  allow  me  to  have  a  little 
sketch  for  a  study  and  a  souvenir  ? — The  great  picture — " 

"  A  large  portrait,  then  ?  " 

"  Only  a  three-quarters  length,  but  of  course  life-size. 
It  would  be  a  sin  and  a  shame  to  put  such  a  head  and  such 
a  figure  on  a  canvas  the  size  of  a  tea-tray.  But  my  dear, 
best  Friiulein,  tell  me  you  will  have  the  heavenly  good- 
ness to  visit  my  studio — the  street  and  number  are  on  my 
card — and  look  at  my  things,  and  sit  to  me  only  if — if  you 
yourself  take  pleasure  in  them  ;  for  I  would  not  for  any- 
thing have  you  think  you  were  making  a  sacrifice  for  the 
benefit  of  a  mere  dauber." 

"  My  dear  Friiulein,  I  really  do  not  know  what — " 

"  Perhaps  you  haven't  time  at  this  moment  ?  Perhaps 
you  are  an  artist  yourself  ?  The  careful  way  in  which 
you  studied  the  pictures  in  the  Pinakothek — " 


64  /^V    PARADISE. 

"Unfortunately  I  have  not  the  smallest  natural  tal- 
ent," answered  the  Friiulein,  smiling  ;  "  but  only  a  little 
taste  and  a  strong  yearning  toward  everything  beautiful 
and  artistic  ;  and  this  is  the  reason  why  I  have  come  to 
Munich — as  I  am  quite  alone  in  the  world.  It  is  still  un- 
certain how  long  I  shall  stay  here.  But  if  I  can  really 
give  you  pleasure  by  doing  so — I  rely  upon  it,  of  course, 
that  it  shall  be  entirely  a  matter  between  ourselves  if  I 
sit  to  you.  And  in  return,  you  shall  initiate  me  into  the 
secrets  of  your  art,  which  to  a  lay  observer  must  always 
remain  closed,  no  matter  of  how  good  intentions  he  may 
be,  unless  he  is  given  the  right  introduction." 

^^  Brava  !  bravissima  /^'  cried  the  delighted  painter. 
"  Heaven  reward  you  a  thousand  times  for  your  great 
kindness  ;  and  I  will  see  to  it  that  you  shall  not  repent  it. 
My  dear,  dear  Fraulein,  when  you  know  me  a  little  more 
intimately  you  will  see  that  you  have  to  do  with  an  honest 
woman  who  has  a  grateful  heart,  and  against  whom  no 
one  of  her  friends  can  utter  a  reproach." 

In  the  wildest  delight  she  took  her  leave  of  the  beau- 
tiful face — which,  in  spite  of  all  this  worship,  had  pre- 
served a  rather  cool  expression — and,  as  though  she  feared 
the  promise  might  possibly  be  retracted  on  further  reflec- 
tion, she  hurried  from  the  room. 

When  she  reached  the  street,  she  stood  still  for  a  mo- 
ment, fairly  out  of  breath,  tied  her  loosened  hat-strings 
more  firmly  under  her  chin,  and  gleefully  rubbed  her 
hands.  "  What  eyes  they'll  make  !  "  she  said  to  herself. 
"  IIow  they  will  envy  me  !  But  then  wliat  makes  them 
such  shy,  silly  Philistines?  It's  true,  to  make  such  a  con- 
quest in  a  moment,  one  must  not  be  a  man,  but  just  such 
an  utterly  harmless  old  maid  as  I !  " 


IN    PARADISE  65 


CHAPTER   VII. 

The  friends  turned  their  steps  toward  a  beer-garden  on 
the  Dultplatz,  where,  at  this  time  of  day — between  two 
and  three  o'clock — it  was  pretty  quiet  in  spite  of  its  being 
Sunday.  The  noonday  guests  had  finished  with  their 
dinners  long  ago,  and  the  afternoon  concert  had  not  yet 
begun.  Instead  of  it  three  sleepy  fiddlers,  an  elderly  harp- 
player,  and  a  jovial  clarinet  were  playing  on  a  platform  in 
the  middle  of  the  garden.  Of  these  musicians  the  clarinet- 
player  alone  still  defied  the  drowsy  influences  of  the  siesta 
hour,  attemj)ting,  by  wild  and  desperate  runs,  to  rouse  the 
nodding  quartette.  On  the  benches  in  the  shade  of  the 
tall  ash-trees  there  sat  a  very  mixed  company,  for  in 
Munich  the  differences  between  the  classes  is  far  less 
marked  than  in  any  of  the  other  large  German  cities  ;  and 
among  the  rest,  at  the  smallest  tables,  were  numerous  pairs 
of  lovers  who,  lulled  into  a  state  of  dreamy  comfort  by 
plentiful  eating  and  drinking,  rested  their  heads  on  one 
another's  shoulders,  held  each  other's  hands  and  abandoned 
themselves  freely  to  their  feelings.  Yet  no  one  seemed  to 
take  offense  at  this;  on  the  contrary,  it  seemed  to  belong 
to  the  place  as  much  as  the  gnats  that  swarmed  in  the  air. 
The  three  late  an-ivals  seated  themselves  in  one  of  the 
most  secluded  corners  and  proceeded  to  do  justice  to  the 
viands  which  the  waitress,  who  treated  Jansen  with  con- 
spicuous respect,  had  put  aside  for  them.  It  was  anything 
but  a  sumptuous  meal,  but  the  taste  for  the  pleasures 
of  the  table  seemed  to  be  so  little  developed  in  the  sculp- 
tor that  it  never  occurred  to  him  to  celebrate  the  reunion 

with  his  friend  by  a  bottle  of  wine.     Felix  knew  this  and 
5  ^ 


66  /iV    PARADISE. 

overlooked  it.  Still,  he  had  hoped  to  find  hira  more  ani- 
mated and  communicative  after  their  long  separation  ;  and 
now  he  could  not  help  noticing  how  he  sat  at  his  side,  pre- 
occupied and  speaking  only  in  monosyllables,  intent  only 
upon  feeding  Homo,  who  swallowed  the  big  niouthf uls 
that  were  given  him  with  grave  decorum. 

In  the  mean  time,  there  joined  the  group  a  fourth  person, 
for  whom  the  battle-pamter  seemed  to  have  looked  from 
the  beginning.  He  was  a  slim  young  man,  pale  and  with 
curly  black  hair,  whose  manner  at  once  announced  him  to 
be  an  actor.  He  wore,  over  one  eye,  a  black  silk  shade, 
that  made  his  paleness  still  more  conspicuous,  and  the 
sharp  lines  above  his  expressive  mouth  gave  evidence  of 
some  hardly  suppressed  suffering.  Rosenbusch  introduced 
him  as  his  neighbor,  Herr  Elfingcr,  formerly  a  member  of 

the court-theatre,  now  a  clerk  in  one  of  the  Munich 

banking-houses.  The  manner  in  which  Jansen  also  wel- 
comed him  showed  that  he  was  one  of  the  intimates  of 
this  circle.  He  bore  himself  with  such  easy  cheerful- 
ness and  enlivened  the  conversation  in  such  an  agree- 
able way  that  Felix  felt  very  much  drawn  toward  him, 
and  even  Jansen  brightened  up  and  took  part  in  the 
lively  chat. 

But  suddenly  the  sculptor  stood  up,  looked  at  his 
watch,  east  a  glance  over  the  picket  fence  that  separated 
the  garden  from  the  sunny  square,  and  said,  coloring 
slightly  :  "  I  must  leave  you  now,  old  boy.  My  friends 
here  will  bear  mo  witness  that  nothing  is  to  be  done  with 
me  on  Sunday  afternoons.  At  such  times  I  have  to  go 
ray  o-vvn  ways  and  to  fulfill  certain  duties,  which,  to-day 
in  particular,  I  could  only  escape  Avith  the  greatest  difli- 
culty.     I  hope  you  will  excuse  me." 

"  He  has  to  turn  back  into  a  sea  monster  one  day  in 


IN    PARADISE.  67 

seven,  like  Melusine,"  laughed  RosenbuscK  "  We  are 
used  to  that." 

Felix  looked  up  in  surprise.  "Don't  let  me  disturb 
you,  old  boy,"  he  said.  "  Besides,  I  still  have  to  find  a 
lodging.  Where  are  you  quartered?  Perhaps  I  could 
find  a  place  in  your  neighborhood —  " 

"  I  am  not  going  home  now  and  I  should  hardly  recom- 
mend the  neighborhood  where  I  live,"  the  sculptor  inter- 
rupted, with  such  a  frown  that  it  put  an  end  to  all  further 
questioning.  "  You  will  find  me  in  my  studio  again  to- 
morrow. Good-by  for  to-day  and  good  luck  to  you. 
Come,  Homo  !  " 

He  nodded  to  his  friends  without  giving  them  his 
hand,  pulled  his  hat  down  over  his  eyes,  and  left  the  gar- 
den with  his  faithful  dog. 

They  saw  him  stride  with  rapid  steps  across  the  square 
and  approach  a  two-horse  fiacre  that  stood  on  the  other 
side,  not  far  from  the  gate,  apparently  waiting  for  him  on 
the  shady  side  of  the  street.  Then,  as  he  stepped  in,  they 
could  plainly  see  that  there  was  some  one  sitting  inside  ; 
there  was  a  glimpse  of  a  woman's  bright-colored  di'ess,  and 
a  child's  little  hand  thrust  a  sunshade  out  the  window. 
Except  this,  all  the  windows  were  shut,  notwithstanding 
the  great  heat ;  and,  as  the  mysterious  vehicle  rolled  rap- 
idly away,  the  friends  who  had  been  looking  after  it  turned 
to  one  another  with  wonder  in  their  eyes. 

"  He  appears  to  have  a  family,"  said  Felix.  "  Why 
doesn't  he  say  anything  to  anybody  about  it  ?  Even  to  me, 
his  oldest  friend,  he  has  never  uttered  a  word  about  his 
projected  or  perhaps  actual  mamage,  about  which  there 
was  a  rumor  some  six  years  ago.  I  thought  the  whole  mat- 
ter had  either  fallen  through  or  else  turned  out  unhappily. 
But  now  he  seems,  after  all,  not  to  be  alone.  Do  you 
know  anything  about  his  private  circumstances  ?  " 


68  /^V    PARADISE. 

"  Nothing  whatever,"  answered  the  painter.  "  None 
of  us  have  ever  set  foot  across  his  threshold  ;  and,  the  mo- 
ment any  one  asks  where  he  lodges,  he  grows  as  snappish 
as  a  bear,  just  as  you  saw  him  a  few  minutes  ago.  As 
for  women,  he  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  them,  that  can 
be  seen  plainly  enough  from  all  he  does.  Whether,  in 
spite  of  all  this,  he  has  a  household  of  his  own,  can't  be  dis- 
covered. He  once  cut  dead  a  prying  fellow  who  followed 
him  one  night  to  see  where  he  kejDt  himself." 

"  I  think,"  said  Elfinger,  "  that  the  pleasure  we  get 
from  his  society  six  days  in  the  week  is  so  great  that  we 
might  at  least  leave  him  to  himself  on  the  seventh.  But 
now  let  us  help  the  Baron  look  for  rooms,  and  debate  how 
we  can  best  show  him  the  city  this  evening." 

When,  tOAvard  midnight,  Felix  left  the  beer-cellar, 
where  he  had  been  for  several  hours  enjoying  the  evening 
<iir,  and  returned  to  his  lodgings — a  suite  of  pleasant  rooms 
overlooking  flower-gardens  and  the  quiet  streets  beyond — 
a  singular  feeling  of  depression  suddenly  came  over  him. 
He  had  now  attained  what  he  cared  more  for  than  for  any- 
thing else.  No  one  could  enjoy  more  perfect  freedom 
than  he.  No  one  could  begin  life  afresh  more  untram- 
meled  by  social  forms.  Then,  too,  the  cheerful,  lively 
city,  with  its  gay  life,  the  free  and  easy  artists'  society 
into  which  he  had  entered — all  this  had  corresponded  with 
his  Avish  and  expectations,  and  promised  him  compensation 
for  many  a  ruined  hope.  It  was  the  only  atmosphere  that 
seemed  suited  to  him,  the  only  surroundings  among  which 
he  could  find  again,  even  in  the  Old  World,  something  of 
that  unrestrained  freedom  that  he  had  enjoyed  so  much 
beyond  the  ocean.  And  when,  notAvithstanding  all  this, 
he  went  to  bed  with  a  heavy  sigh  and  waited  long  for 
Bleep  in  vain — why  was  it  ? 


IN    PARADISE.  69 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

On  the  following  morning,  Felix  brought  a  whole  arm- 
ful of  his  sketch-books  to  Jansen.  The  latter  seemed  to 
look  through  them  with  interest,  and  listened  patiently  to 
the  accounts  of  the  adventures,  of  which  many  of  them 
were  hasty  illustrations,  but  he  did  not  utter  a  single  word 
in  regard  to  any  artistic  worth  which  the  sketches  might 
possess. 

When  the  last  page  had  been  turned,  and  Jansen,  with 
a  quiet  "  hm  ! "  had  begun  to  pile  up  the  books  and  tab- 
lets in  a  little  tower,  Felix  was  forced  to  ask  whether  he 
had  not  made  some  progress  after  all. 

"Progress?  Why,  that  depends  upon  the  way  you 
look  at  it." 

"  And  how  do  you  look  at  it,  old  fellow  ?  " 

"  I  ? — Hm  !  I  look  at  it  from  a  geographical  point 
of  view." 

"  You  are  very  good.     I  understand  perfectly." 

"  Don't  be  angry,  my  dear  fellow,  but  understand  me 
rightly.  I  mean,  on  the  path  of  dilettantism,  on  which 
you  have  been  wandering  up  to  this  date,  all  progress 
must  necessarily  be  deceptive,  even  though,  outwardly,  you 
have  circumnavigated  the  world  ;  for,  after  all,  all  your 
efforts  move  in  a  circle.     I  am  very  sorry  for  it,  though." 

"  For  what  ?  " 

"  That  you  really  want  to  take  up  art  in  earnest.  You 
might  have  remained  such  an  enviable  dilettante,  for  you 
have  all  the  necessary  qualifications  to  an  uncommon 
degree." 

"  And  they  are  ?  " 


iJ-O  IN    PARADISE. 

"  Self-confidence,  time,  and  money.  No,  don't  be  angry. 
I  am  truly  sei'ious  when  I  say  this  to  you,  and  of  course 
it  would  be  needless  for  me  to  assure  you  that  I  mean  well 
when  I  say  it.  Seriously  :  these  traveling  sketches  of 
yours  are  done  so  skillfully  that  any  of  the  illustrated 
papers  might  consider  themselves  lucky  if  they  had  such 
special  artists.  And  yet  I  wish,  since  you  are  determined 
to  be  an  artist,  that  they  were  not  half  so  skillful." 

"  If  it  is  nothing  more  than  that,  a  remedy  can  easily  be 
found.  You  will  soon  sec  how  much  talent  I  have  for  un- 
skillfulness,  when  you  give  me  something  to  model." 

The  sculptor  shook  his  head  gently.  "  It  is  not  the 
hands,"  he  said.  "  It  is  the  mind  that  has  already  attained 
a  very  respectable  maturity  and  facility  in  you  ;  only,  un- 
fortunately, in  a  Avrong  direction.  For  the  truth  is,  my 
dear  fellow,  the  very  things  that  please  you  best,  and  have 
probably  most  impressed  unprofessional  persons,  the  dash 
and  readiness,  the  so-called  artist's  touch,  those  are  the 
very  things  that  stand  most  in  the  way  of  your  getting 
back  into  the  right  track.  It  is  just  as  if,  instead  of  learn- 
ing to  write  in  the  ordinary  way,  one  should  begin  with 
stenography.  lie  never  in  all  his  life  will  have  a  good 
handwriting.  For  the  spirit  of  dilettantism,  take  it  for 
a  1  in  all,  is,  like  that  of  stenography,  in  the  art  of  abbrevia- 
tion ;  in  substituting  a  symbol  for  the/brm,  just  as  in  the 
other  case  we  substitute  one  for  the  letter,  so  that  in  the 
course  of  time  all  real  feelings — yes,  the  very  want  of  and 
appreciation  of  the  rightly-developed  natural  form — are 
hopelessly  lost.  Why  is  it  then  that  the  dilettanti  attain 
their  end  so  much  moi'e  quickly  than  the  true  artists  ?  Be- 
cause, with  this  system  of  abbreviation,  they  steer  straight 
for  those  results  which  seem  to  them  of  the  most  import- 
ance :  resemblance,  spirit,  elegance  of  execution.    For  that 


IN    PARADISE.  71 

reason  they  are  often  marvelously  skillful  in  mastering  the 
proportions  of  a  face,  for  instance,  and  setting  it  off  by  a 
few  dots  and  strokes  so  that  everybody  cries  :  '  Oh  !  how 
like  !  how  speaking  !  and  how  quickly  done  ! '  The  true 
artist  knows  that  the  length  of  time  spent  in  the  produc- 
tion is  by  no  means  a  measure  of  excellence  ;  and  as  he  has 
not  only  a  general  sense  of  proportion,  but  also  a  feeling 
for  the  true  form  itself,  he  does  not  rest  until  he  has  done 
it  full  justice — until,  so  to  speak,  he  has  worked  outward 
from  the  very  core  of  that  the  exterior  of  which  his  eyes 
have  already  taken  in  and  fully  comprehended.  How- 
ever," he  went  on  after  a  short  pause,  during  which  he 
unwound  the  wet  cloths  from  his  Bacchante,  "  you  are  at 
liberty  to  believe  that  all  this  is  merely  my  personal  opin- 
ion and  nothing  more  than  exaggerated  estimate  of  what 
constitutes  true  art.  In  ordinary  life  the  artist  is  distin- 
guished from  the  dilettante  only  by  the  fact  that  the  for- 
mer follows  the  thing  as  a  calling,  and  the  latter  only  for 
his  own  amusement.  According  to  this,  you  would  be  an 
artist  from  the  moment  you  cast  aside  the  baron,  the  states- 
man or  jurist,  the  homme  (Taction,  that  you  have  in  you, 
and  regularly  devoted  a  certain  number  of  hours  of  the 
day  to  dirtying  your  fingers  with  clay.  If  you  stick  to 
it  persistently,  it  would  be  very  hard  lines  indeed  if,  in 
the  course  of  several  years,  you  should  not  possess  the  nec- 
essary mechanical  skill  just  as  well  as  any  one  else.  Even 
to  become  an  academic  professor  need  not  be  an  unattain- 
able aim  of  your  ambition.  And  if,  in  spite  of  all  that,  1 
should  still  continue,  in  my  heart,  to  look  upon  you  as  Ji 
born  dilettante,  you  could  smile  down  upon  me  graciously, 
and  heap  coals  of  fire  upon  my  head  by  proposing  me  as 
an  honorary  member  of  your  academy.  Ah  !  my  dear 
boy,  I  tell  you,  if  you  should  make  a  close  examination  of 


72  /-A"    PARADISE 

many  of  our  most  famous  great  men,  you  would  bring  to 
light  little  else  than  a  disguised  and  beautiful  dilettan- 
tism, made  up  of  humbug,  elegant  trai^pings,  and  perhaps 
a  few  so-called  ideas.  I  know  painters  who  dash  off  a 
hand  or  a  foot,  a  horse's  head  or  an  oak-tree,  with  as  un- 
erring an  audacity  as — well,  as  a  thorough  stenographer 
will  bring  a  two  hours'  speech  into  the  compass  of  an  oc- 
tavo page.  But  Lord  have  mercy  upon  them,  for  they 
have  long  since  ceased  to  know  what  they  do  ;  and  as  the 
dear  public  has  an  even  coai'ser  sense,  a  still  blunter  nat- 
ural feeling,  and  even  more  respect  for  appearances — why, 
it's  all  just  as  it  should  be,  and  no  one  can  comjDlain  that 
he  has  been  cheated." 

For  some  time  after  this  speech  silence  reigned  in  the 
studio.  There  were  heard  only  the  fluttering  of  the  spar- 
rows, the  heavy  breathing  of  Homo,  for  the  old  fellow  was 
already  enjoying  his  morning  nap  again,  and,  in  the  saint- 
factory  near  by,  the  clatter  and  scraping  and  picking  of 
seven  or  eight  chisels  in  the  hands  of  the  assistants  who 
were  hard  at  Avork. 

"Thank  you,  Daedalus,"  said  Felix,  at  last.  "Upon 
the  whole  you  are  perfectly  right,  and  I  think  it  very  kind 
of  you  to  try  and  scare  me  off  so  thoroughly.  But,  with 
your  permission,  I  intend  to  hold  to  my  intentions  until 
I  have  been  made  wise  by  my  own  experience.  If,  a  year 
from  this  time,  you  preach  me  the  same  sermon,  you  shall 
see  how  penitently  I  will  beat  my  breast  and  become  con- 
verted from  all  my  sins.  But  now,  first  give  me  some- 
thing to  sin  with.  Look  here,  my  coat  is  already  off,  and 
I  have  nothing  more  to  do  but  to  roll  up  my  shirt-sleeves." 

"  So  be  it,  then  !  "  replied  Jansen,  with  a  good-natured 
smile.     "  Not  as  God  wills,  but  as  you  wish — here  !  " 

He  went  to  the  large  closet  and  took  out  a  skull,  which 


IN    PARADISE.  73 

he  laid  on  a  little  table  near  the  window.  At  the  same 
time  he  wheeled  a  modeling  -  bench  out  of  the  corner, 
placed  it  before  the  table,  and  pointed,  without  speak- 
ing, to  a  big  lump  of  clay  that  lay  moist  and  shiny  in  a 
tub. 

"  Are  we  to  study  phrenology  ?  "  laughed  Felix,  rather 
nervously,  for  a  suspicion  began  to  dawn  upon  him. 

"  No,  my  dear  fellow,  but  we  must  take  pains  to  make 
as  exact  a  coj^y  as  possible  of  this  round  mass  of  bones. 
.  .  .  We  shall  have  plenty  of  time  for  the  flesh  when  we 
have  first  mastered  the  skeleton." 

"  I  am  to  model  a  whole  skeleton  ?  " 

"  Bone  for  bone,  down  to  the  big  toe.  In  this  way 
we  combine  an  anatomical  course  with  practice  in  model- 
ing forms.  Yes,  my  dear  fellow,"  he  smilingly  continued, 
as  he  perceived  the  horrified  expression  of  his  pupil ;  "  if 
you  thought  to  begin  your  apprenticeship  with  the  soft, 
white  flesh  of  a  woman,  you  have  greatly  deceived  your- 
self. However,  since  you  have  already  done  quite  enough 
preparatory  studying  in  this  field — " 

He  suddenly  broke  off.  On  the  landing,  outside,  they 
heard  a  pleasant  feminine  voice  say  : 

"Is  this  the  way  to  Fraulein  Minna  Engelken's 
studio  ?  " 

"  If  you  will  kindly  give  yourself  the  trouble  to  mount 
a  flight  higher,"  responded  the  hoarse  bass  of  the  janitor. 
"  The  door  to  the  right — the  name  is  on  the  sign.  The 
Fraulein  has  been  there  for  the  last  two  hours." 

"  Thanks." 

At  the  first  sound  of  the  voice  Jansen  had  hurried 
to  the  door  ;  he  now  opened  it  a  little  and  peeped  out. 
Then  he  came  back  to  Felix,  and,  with  his  face  slightly 
flushed,  went  silently  to  work. 


74  I^y    PARADISE. 

*'  "WTio  was  the  lady  ?  "  asked  Felix,  though  he  felt  no 
particular  curiosity  on  the  subject. 

"  The  stranger  we  saw  yesterday.  Strange  !  when  I 
heard  that  unknown  voice  her  face  suddenly  came  up  be- 
fore my  eyes  again." 

Felix  said  nothing.  He  had  gone  up  to  the  modeling- 
bench,  had  begun  to  work  at  a  great  ball  of  clay  about  as 
large  as  the  skull,  and  appeared  to  be  completely  absorbed 
in  his  task. 

But  they  had  scarcely  been  working  on  in  this  way, 
side  by  side  and  in  silence,  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  when  some  one  knocked  softly  on  the  door  and  Ro- 
senbusch  entered,  looking  excited,  merry,  and  full  of 
mischief. 

He  nodded  to  the  friends,  stepped  close  U])  to  them 
and  said,  with  an  air  of  mysterious  importance  :  "  Do 
you  know  who  is  up-stairs  ?  The  lady  of  the  Pinakothek  ! 
Angelica  is  painting  her  picture — she  has  succeeded — an 
incredibly  resolute  woman  that !  And  can  keep  a  secret 
like  the  devil  !  Now  just  conceive  of  it ;  I  discovered 
her  early  this  morning  clearing  up  her  studio,  as  though 
the  queen  had  given  notice  of  a  visit.  For  that  matter 
it  always  does  look  damned  elegant  and  neat  up  there — 
flowers  in  whichever  direction  you  turn,  and  a  hothouse 
fragrance  that  makes  you  sick.  But,  to-day,  it  is  a  posi- 
tive show-room  !  *  What  the  devil  is  this,  Angelica  ? '  said 
I ;  '  is  to-day  your  birthday,  or  are  you  going  to  get  en- 
gaged, or  are  you  painting  a  Russian  princess?' — for  I 
had  long  forgotten  all  about  the  affair  of  yesterday.  But 
she,  turning  round  the  old  yellow-silk  cushion  on  the  arm- 
chair so  as  to  present  the  side  which  had  the  fcAvest  spots 
— she  scarcely  looked  at  me,  and  said  :  '  Go  and  get  to 
work,  Herr  von  Rosebud ' — that  is  what  she  always  calls 


IN    PARADISE.  75 

me  "when  she  is  cross — '  I  am  not  at  home  to  you,  to-day  !' 
In  this  way  she  morally  turned  me  out  of  doors  without 
farther  ceremony,  and,  I  must  confess,  I  rather  like  it  in 
her  ;  energy,  fearlessness,  the  courage  of  one's  opinions, 
are  always  fine,  even  in  a  woman.  So  I  withdrew,  won- 
dering, and  was  already  at  work  laying  on  my  colors  when 
I  heard  some  one  coming  up  the  stairs.  Yes,  I  was  right, 
she  was  going  to  Angelica  ;  and  as  the  wall  between  us  is 
not  very  thick,  and  they  did  not  at  first  take  the  precau- 
tion to  lower  their  voices,  I  discovered  the  whole  mystery 
— that  it  is  our  beauty  of  yesterday,  that  she  is  going  to 
have  her  picture  painted,  and  that  her  first  name  is  Julie. 
And  now  I  appeal  to  you,  friends  and  companions  in  art, 
are  we  men  or  cowardly  poltroons  ?  Are  we  to  suffer  this 
vixen  to  carry  away  such  a  prize  fi'om  under  our  very 
noses,  and  to  withhold  such  a  paragon  of  beauty  from  us 
under  our  own  roof  ?  Or  shall  we  rush  up  as  one  man, 
and,  in  the  name  of  art,  lay  siege  to  the  door  of  this  ob- 
durate sister,  and  compel  her,  by  force  or  persuasion,  to 
open  to  us  ?  " 

"  I  would  advise  you,  Rosenbusch,  to  go  quietly  up- 
stairs again  and  wreak  yom*  martial  ardor  on  the  battle  of 
Lutzen,"  Jansen  answered,  without  the  slightest  approach 
to  a  smile.  "  But,  if  your  excitement  will  not  let  you 
work,  convey  your  homage  to  the  lady  through  the  wall 
by  means  of  your  flute.  Perhaps  they  will  invite  you  to 
come  round  and  declaim  some  of  your  verses." 

"Wretched  scoffer!"  cried  the  battle -painter.  "I 
thought  to  render  you  a  service  by  bringing  you  this 
news.  But  you  are  of  the  earth,  earthy,  and  are  incapable 
of  soaring  to  any  height  of  enthusiasm.  Well,  God  be 
with  you  !     I  see  that  I  am  not  understood  down  here  ! " 

He  rushed  out  of  the  door,  and,  sure  enough,  they 


76  IN    PARADISE, 

soon  afterward  heard  the  flute  pouring  out  its  most  melt- 
ing passages. 

This  language,  however,  did  not  seem  to  be  understood 
in  the  next  room.  Angelica's  room  remained  tight  shut, 
and  when  it  was  opened,  a  few  hours  after,  soft  steps 
came  down  the  stairs,  and  the  listeners  below  were  led  to 
conclude  that  the  sitting  was  over. 

In  the  mean  while  dinner-time  had  come,  and  the  as- 
sistants in  the  adjoining  room  had  stopped  work  and  left 
the  studio.  Jansen,  too — although,  as  a  rule,  he  seldom 
made  a  pause  before  two  o'clock — now  laid  down  his  mod- 
eling-tool. 

"  Come,"  he  said,  "  you  must  make  your  calls  of  cere- 
mony upon  our  fellow-lodgers." 

They  mounted  the  stairs,  and  went  first  into  Rosen- 
busch's  studio.  As  no  notice  had  been  taken  of  his  flute- 
playing,  he  had  seated  himself  at  his  easel  again,  and  had 
set  himself  zealously  to  work  to  paint  away  his  anger.  His 
room  certainly  presented  a  most  remarkable  appearance  ; 
the  walls  shone,  almost  like  those  of  an  armory,  with  old 
arms,  halberds,  muskets,  and  swords,  relieved  here  and 
there  by  enormous  boots  with  wheel-spurs,  leather  col- 
lars, saddles,  and  singular  stirrups.  An  immense  old  ket- 
tle-drum stood  on  a  rickety  stand  in  front  of  a  worm-eaten 
arm-chair,  and  served  as  a  table  on  which  to  pile  all  sorts 
of  odds  and  ends.  Some  cactus-plants,  with  great  red 
blossoms,  stood  in  full  bloom  in  the  Avindow,  and  among 
them  was  a  delicate  little  wire-cage,  containing  two  white 
mice,  who  ran  restlessly  up  and  down,  squeaking  and  look- 
ing shyly  at  the  new  faces  out  of  their  little  red  eyes. 

The  battle  of  Liitzen  stood  on  the  easel ;  it  was  quite 
a  vigorous  work,  and  Felix  could  praise  it  with  a  good 
conscience.     The  horses,  especially,  reared  and  plunged, 


IN    PARADISE.  77 

full  of  life  and  spirits  ;  and  the  young  baron  could  hardly 
believe  it  when  the  painter  confessed  that  he  had  never 
mounted  a  horse  in  his  life.  After  they  had  joked  and 
laughed  about  this  for  a  while,  and  Rosenbusch  had  de- 
livered an  earnest  speech  in  defense  of  the  romantic  school, 
he  threw  off  the  old,  much-patched  Swedish  trooper's 
jacket  in  which  he  always  jaainted,  in  order,  as  he  said,  to 
have  the  true  historical  inspiration,  and  di'essed  himself, 
in  spite  of  the  heat,  in  a  violet-colored  velvet  coat,  so  that 
he  might  accompany  the  friends  in  their  visit  to  the  ad- 
joining room. 

Their  knock  on  Angelica's  door  was  answered  by  a 
cordial  *'  Come  in  !  "  Rosenbusch  had  not  exaggerated  : 
the  studio  did,  in  truth,  resemble  a  hot-house  decked  out 
for  a  festival,  to  which  the  sketches,  and  studies,  and  half- 
finished  pictures  of  flowers  merely  served  as  decorations. 
The  painter  had  had  a  window  cut  through  the  wall  on 
the  east  side  at  her  own  expense,  in  order  that  she  might 
give  her  plants,  which  she  tended  with  scientific  knowl- 
edge, plenty  of  sun  whenever  the  nature  of  her  work  did 
not  require  a  pure  north  light.  The  plants  were  truly 
grateful,  and  twined  and  throve  so  luxuriantly  that  the 
slender  stems  of  the  palms  and  figs  reached  almost  to  the 
ceiling. 

Angelica  stood  before  her  easel  in  an  antiquated  paint- 
ing-jacket, her  straw  hat  perched  on  one  side,  her  cheeks 
glowing  from  her  work,  and  was  so  busily  occupied  in 
"  toning  down  "  the  background  that  she  merely  nodded 
to  her  friends  as  they  entered,  without  interrupting  her 
work. 

"  She  has  gone  !  "  she  cried  to  them,  "  otherwise  I 
could  not  have  let  you  in,  no  matter  how  much  I  had 
wanted  to.     My  children,  you  have  no  conception  of  what 


78  /iV    PARADISE. 

a  cliarming   person  she  is !     If  I  were  a  man,  I  would 
marry  her  or  blow  my  brains  out !  " 

"  You  are  indulging  in  very  reckless  assertions,"  Ro- 
senbusch  interposed,  raising  himself  a  little  on  his  toes, 
and  stroking  his  thick  beard.  "  Just  let's  see  if  she  really 
is  so  dangerous." 

Angelica  stepped  back  from  the  easel. 

"  Gentlemen,"  she  said,  "  I  hope  you  will  praise  me. , 
Either  I  understand  as  much  about  painting  as  a  roast 
goose,  or  this  will  be  my  best  picture,  and  a  real  work  of 
art.  But  just  look  at  these  curves  !  All  large,  simple, 
noble,  such  as  never  grow  under  our  native  heaven.  JNIy 
first  idea  was  to  paint  the  picture  alia  ^yrima  ;  but  in  the 
nick  of  time  it  occurred  to  me  that  I  should  be  very  fool- 
ish to  do  so.  For  the  longer  I  can  study  this  heavenly 
face,  the  happier  I  shall  be.  Just  see  this  figure,  Jansen. 
Have  you  often  come  across  anything  like  it  ?  " 

"  The  lady  has  style,"  remarked  Rosenbusch,  assuming 
as  cool  an  air  as  possible.  "  However,  she  doesn't  seem 
to  be  particularly  young,  or  else  your  dead  coloring  gives 
her  ten  years  too  many." 

"  You  are  a  strange  mortal,  Herr  von  Rosebud,"  an- 
swered the  painter,  angrily.  "  In  art  you  rave  over  noth- 
ing but  old  leather,  but  in  life  no  school-girl's  complexion 
is  rosy  and  satiny  enough  to  suit  you.  It  is  true,  my 
beauty  here  told  me  herself  that  she  was  already — but  I 
won't  be  such  a  fool  as  to  tell  a  girl's  secret  to  gentlemen. 
But  of  this  I  can  assure  you  :  that  twenty  years  from  now, 
when  certain  pretty  little  dolls'  faces  have  long  grown  old 
and  faded,  that  woman  there  will  still  be  so  beautiful  that 
people  will  stand  still  in  the  streets  to  look  after  her." 

"  And  may  we  be  permitted  to  ask  of  what  nationality 
she  is  ?  "  inquired  Felix. 


IN    PARADISE.  79 

"  Why  not  ?  She  makes  no  secret  of  the  fact  that  she 
is  from  Saxony,  although  you  would  never  detect  it  from 
her  accent  ;  nor  that  her  name  is  Julie  S.,  nor  that  she 
lost  her  old  mother  a  year  or  so  ago,  and  now  stands  quite 
alone  in  the  world.  However,  we  haven't  been  having  a 
mere  family  gossip,  but  the  most  profound  conversation 
on  art-matters.  She  is  more  intelligent  in  such  things, 
let  me  tell  you,  than  many  of  our  colleagues.  And  now 
you  must  excuse  me,  gentlemen,  if  I  don't  let  you  inter- 
rupt me  in  my  work,  but  go  on  and  finish  this  background 
to-day,  before  the  colors  dry  in." 

Up  to  this  time  Jansen  had  not  spoken  a  syllable. 
Now  he  stepped  up  to  Angelica,  gave  her  his  hand,  and 
said : 

"If  you  don't  spoil  this,  my  dear  friend,  you  will 
make  something  out  of  it  that  will  do  you  great  honor. 
Adieu ! " 

He  turned  quickly  away,  and  strode  out  of  the  studio 
without  casting  a  glance  to  right  or  left. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

When  his  friends  overtook  him  in  the  street  he  re- 
mained silent  and  serious  ;  while  Rosenbusch  praised,  in 
the  most  extravagant  language,  the  beauty  of  the  picture. 

"  If  my  heart  were  not  alreadj^  in  such  firm  hands," 
he  said,  with  a  sigh,  "  who  knows  what  might  happen  ! 
But  constancy  is  no  empty  dream.  Besides,  Angelica 
Would  scratch  any  one's  eyes  out  who  tried  to  play  the 
Romeo  to  her  Juliet.  But  where  are  you  dragging  us  to, 
Jansen  ?  " 


80  IN-    PARADISE. 

"  We  are  going  to  see  *  Fat  Rossel.'  " 

"  Then  I  prefer  to  withdraw  at  once  to  my  feeding- 
place  and  to  await  you  there.  I  have  made  a  solemn  vow 
never  again  to  visit  that  accursed  Sybarite  just  before 
meal-time.  It  smells  so  devilishly  of  ambergris,  2^<^i^  de 
foie  gras  and  East-Indian  birds'-nests,  so  that  after  coming 
away  a  man  feels  like  a  thorough  vagabond  over  his 
wi'etched  dumplings.  The  devil  take  these  lazy  voluptu- 
aries !     Long  live  energy  and  sauerkraut !  " 

After  this  fierce  outburst  he  nodded  smilingly  to  the 
two  others,  slouched  his  big  hat  over  his  left  ear,  and 
turned,  whistling,  into  a  side  street. 

"  Who  is  this  '  Fat  Rossel '  against  whom  our  friend 
Rosebud  displays  all  his  thorns  ?  "  asked  Felix. 

"  He  isn't  really  so  fierce  as  he  tries  to  make  himself 
out.  The  two  are  good  comrades,  and  would  go  through 
fire  and  water  for  one  another  in  case  of  need.  This 
60-called  '  Fat  Rossel ' — one  EdAvard  Rossel — is  a  very  rich 
man  who  isn't  obliged  to  earn  his  living  by  painting — and 
for  that  reason  lets  his  great  talent  lie  fallow.  Plowever, 
he  has  reduced  his  intellectual  laziness  and  amateur  enjoy- 
ment of  art  to  a  system,  and  concerning  this  system  Ro- 
senbusch  invariably  falls  foul  of  him  ;  for  he  himself,  in 
spite  of  all  his  '  energy,'  has  never  produced  anything  of 
much  account.     Here  we  are  at  the  house." 

They  passed  through  the  pretty  little  front  garden, 
before  which  they  had  halted  the  day  previous  while  on 
their  way  to  the  Pinakothok,  entered  the  door  of  a  villa- 
like house,  and  mounted  a  staircase  covered  with  soft  car- 
pets. The  hall  shone  with  polished  marbles,  bronze  can- 
delabra, and  beautifiil  flowering  plants  in  porcelain  pots, 
that  perfumed  the  whole  vestibule. 

When  they  entered  the  high -studded  room  above, 


IN    PARADISE.  81 

that  served  as  a  studio,  but  looked  more  like  a  museum  of 
choice  objects  and  works  of  art  than  it  did  like  a  regular 
artist's  workshop,  there  rose  from  a  low  divan,  covered 
with  a  leopard's  skin,  a  singular  figure.  On  a  portly  but 
by  no  means  clumsy  body  rested  a  stately  head,  in  which 
sparkled  a  pair  of  exceedingly  bright  black  eyes.  The 
face  was  of  a  very  white  complexion,  the  beautiful  hands 
were  daintily  cared  for.  The  cut  of  the  features,  with 
the  close  cropped  silky  hair,  and  the  long  black  beard, 
recalled  the  beautiful,  dignified  type  of  the  high-bred  Ori- 
entals. This  impression  was  still  further  heightened  by  a 
little  red  fez,  shoved  back  on  the  head,  and  a  variegated 
Persian  dressing-gown  with  slippers  to  match,  into  which 
his  bare  feet  were  thrust,  while  the  dressing-gown  appar- 
ently served  in  lieu  of  any  other  clothing. 

Slowly,  but  with  great  cordiality,  the  painter  advanced 
to  meet  his  friends,  shook  hands  with  them,  and  said  :  "  I 
made  your  acquaintance  yesterday  from  a  distance,  Herr 
Baron — through  the  blinds,  when  that  sly  dog  Rosebud 
was  trying  to  entice  me  out  into  the  noonday  heat  with 
his  flute.  But  that  kind  of  thing  is  against  my  principles. 
It  may  be  all  very  meritorious  to  eat  one's  bread  in  the 
sweat  of  one's  brow.  But  as  for  enjoying  art  when  reek- 
ing with  perspiration — never  !  Excuse  the  costume  in 
which  I  receive  you.  I  have  just  been  taking  a  douche 
bath  and  afterward  resting  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  In  five 
minutes  I  shall  be  in  a  condition  to  present  my  material 
part  with  propriety." 

He  disappeared   into  a  side  chamber,  that  was   only 

separated  by  a  magnificent  piece  of  Gobelin  tapestry  from 

his  studio,  and  went  on  talking  with  his  friends  while 

completing  his  toilet. 

"  Just  take  a  look  at  my  Bocklin,  that  I  bought  the  day 
6 


82  IN^    PARADISE. 

before  yesterday — over  there  by  tbe  ■window  on  the  little 
easel — I  am  quite  happy  over  the  possession.  Well,  what 
do  you  say  to  it,  Jansen  ?  Isn't  that  something  to  console 
one's  self  with  for  a  while,  in  the  midst  of  this  universal 
poverty  of  art  ?  " 

It  was  a  little  forest  pictui-e,  that  stood  in  the  most 
favorable  light,  near  the  window  ;  it  represented  a  dense 
wood  of  lofty  oaks  and  laurel  bushes,  through  a  little  cleft 
of  which  could  be  seen  a  slender  strip  of  the  distant 
horizon,  and  in  one  comer  a  patch  of  blue  sky.  At  the 
feet  of  the  shady  trees  a  brook  rippled  through  the  luxu- 
riant grass,  on  the  banks  of  which  reclined  a  slcej^ing 
nymph,  with  her  nursling  at  her  side,  its  blunt  little  nose 
pressed  close  against  the  full  maternal  breast,  from  which  it 
seemed  to  be  feeding  quietly.  In  the  centre  of  the  picture, 
leaning  against  a  luxuriant  tree,  stood  the  young  father,  a 
slim,  well-built  faun,  looking  down  well  pleased  upon  his 
family,  and  holding  in  his  hand  the  shepherd's  flute  with 
which  he  had  just  played  his  wife  to  sleep. 

Felix  and  Jansen  were  still  absorbed  in  the  contem- 
plation of  this  charming  work  when  Rossel  again  ap- 
peared. 

"Such  a  thing  is  refreshing,  isn't  it?"  he  said.  "It 
is  a  comfort  to  know  that  there  are  still  men  who  have 
such  beautiful  dreams,  and  the  courage  to  tell  them  to 
others,  no  matter  if  advanced  and  sensible  humanity, 
which  now,  thank  God,  has  outgrown  its  baby  shoes,  and 
every  day  sets  its  foot  down  more  squarely  on  the  broad 
sole  of  realism,  does  shake  its  head  and  talk  about  having 
gotten  beyond  such  standpoints.  This  man  is  one  of  the 
few  who  interest  me.  You  have  undoubtedly  seen  his 
splendid  pictures  in  the  Schack  Gallery  ?  No  ?  Well, 
since  you  have  only  been  two  days  in  Munich,  I  will  for- 


IN    PARADISE.  S3 

give  your  ignorance.  I  will  take  you  there  ;  it  will  afford 
me  the  greatest  pleasure  to  recruit  a  quiet  list  of  worship- 
ers for  my  few  idols." 

"First  of  all,"  said  Felix,  smiling,  "you  would  do 
me  a  greater  favor  if  you  would  show  me  something  by 
one  Edward  Rossel,  to  whose  acquaintance  my  friends 
have  led  me  to  look  forward  with  great  curiosity," 

"  My  own  immortal  works  !  "  cried  the  painter,  threat- 
ning  Jansen  with  his  finger.  "  I  know  who  is  behind  all 
this.  I  know  the  sly  cabals  of  my  much-esteemed  friends, 
who  seize  every  opportunity  to  parade  my  unproductive- 
ness before  my  eyes.  I  know  that  they  mean  no  hai'm, 
and  give  me  credit  for  some  talent ;  I  ought  to  be  ashamed 
of  myself  for  not  sharing  this  good  opinion  and  at  last 
rousing  myself  to  action.  But  it  all  glances  aside  from  the 
armor  of  my  own  self-knowledge.  I  don't  deny  that  I 
have  all  sorts  of  good  qualifications  for  an  artist,  sense 
and  brains  and  some  insight  into  the  true  aims  of  art. 
Unfortunately,  there  is  only  one  little  thing  lacking — the 
disposition  to  really  produce  something.  I  should  have 
been  just  the  man  to  have  been  born  a  Raphael  without 
hands,  and  would  have  borne  this  fate  with  the  greatest 
complacency.  But  won't  you  light  a  cigar,  or  do  you  pre- 
fer a  chibouque  ?  By  the  way,  a  little  refreshment  wouldn't 
be  out  of  place,  considering  this  tropical  temperature." 

Without  waiting  for  an  answer,  he  rang  a  beautifully 
chased  silver  bell. 

A  young  servant-girl,  of  pretty  figure  and  graceful 
manner,  entered  ;  the  painter  whispered  a  word  in  her  ear, 
whereupon  the  girl  disappeared  and  returned,  five  minutes 
after,  with  a  silver  waiter,  on  which  stood  a  wicker-work 
bottle  and  some  glasses. 

"I  brought  this  wine  myself  from  Samos/'  said  Rossel; 


84  IN^    PARADISE. 

"  You  must  at  least  taste  it  and  drink  to  our  good  friend- 
ship ! " 

"  Then  let  me  immediately  sin  against  that  friendship 
and  ask  a  somewhat  indiscreet  question  :  how  is  it  possible 
for  you  to  bury,  like  a  dead  treasure,  a  talent  which  you 
yourself  admit  you  have  ?  " 

"My  dear  fellow,"  replied  the  artist,  coolly,  "the 
matter  is  much  simpler  than  you  suppose.  My  object  is, 
like  that  of  all  men — let  them  prate  as  much  as  they  like 
about  duty,  virtue,  or  self-sacrifice — to  be  as  happy  as  pos- 
sible. But  happiness  consists,  as  I  believe,  in  nothing  else 
than  in  creating  for  one's  self  a  certain  state,  a  manner  of 
life  or  pursuit,  in  which  one  finds  himself  at  the  height 
of  his  individuality,  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  his  peculiar 
powers  and  gifts.  Therefore,  every  man  has  a  happiness 
of  his  own  ;  and  nothing  can  be  more  foolish  than  for  one 
person  to  object  to  another's  way  of  enjoying  himself,  or  to 
persuade  or  advise  others  to  exchange  their  way  for  his. 
The  more  any  one  makes  himself  feel,  by  his  manner  of 
life,  that  he  is  a  particular  individual,  the  more  Nature  has 
attained  her  end  in  making  him,  and  the  more  contented  he 
can  be  with  himself  and  his  situation.  All  unhappiness 
arises  from  the  fact  that  men  try  to  do  things  for  which 
they  are  not  fitted.  If  you  give  a  million  to  a  man  born 
with  a  genius  for  begging,  you  will  make  him  an  unhappy 
millionaire.  He  can  no  longer  exercise  his  talent.  A  vir- 
tuoso in  suffering,  a  Stylites,  or  a  sister  of  charity,  for 
whom  you  should  suddenly  provide  a  healthy  and  com- 
fortable life,  would  at  once  lose  all  individuality  and  so 
all  happiness.  For  it  is  undeniable  that  there  are  men 
who  are  only  conscious  of  their  individuality  when  they 
are  torturing  themselves,  in  the  coarser  or  finer  sense  of 
the  expression.     To  such,  a  state  of  repose  is  an  abasement, 


IN   PARADISE.  85 

and  to  this  class  belong  all  truly  productive  artists.  To 
work,  to  produce  something  which  shall  afterward  stand 
as  a  monument  of  their  power,  appears  to  them  the  high- 
est happiness  ;  and  this  happiness  ought  to  be  accorded  to 
them  all  the  more  readily,  from  the  fact  that  most  of  them 
cannot  live  without  it.  Only  they  ought  to  be  just  enough 
to  look  at  the  matter  also  from  the  opposite  point  of  view, 
where  an  individual  only  feels  conscious  of  his  powers  and 
gifts  when  in  the  free  enjoyment  of  an  apparently  fruitless 
repose.  "When  I  lie  on  my  back  and  make  pictures  in  the 
smoke  of  my  cigar,  or  gaze  upon  the  works  which  great 
creative  beings  have  produced  in  times  gone  by,  am  I  not, 
in  my  way,  putting  to  good  use  that  buried  treasure  with- 
in me  in  which  you  were  so  good  as  to  believe  ?  and  mak- 
ing of  this  individual,  whom  his  friends  accuse  of  culpable 
laziness,  the  very  thing  for  which  he  was  really  fitted  and 
intended — a  perfectly  harmonious  and  happy  man  ?  Once 
in  a  while,  indeed,  the  vulgar  prejudice  seizes  even  me, 
and  I  suddenly  grow  tremendously  active.  But  after  the 
paroxysm  has  lasted  a  week,  at  the  longest,  I  suddenly  see 
the  folly  of  the  j^roceeding  and  throw  the  unfinished  daub 
into  some  dark  closet,  among  other  embryos  of  immortal 
works.  Ah  !  my  dear  friend,  there  is  so  much  struggling, 
and  jDushing,  and  producing  going  on,  that  a  quiet,  inoffen- 
sive art-lover  of  my  disposition  might  well  be  tolerated  as 
a  salutary  antidote  to  this  epidemic  of  activity." 

"  We  will  let  this  old  apple  of  discord  drop  for  to-day," 
interrupted  Jansen,  smiling.  "  I  won't  yet  give  up  my 
old  bet  that  some  fine  day  you  will  cease  to  take  comfort 
in  this  bed  that  you  have  stuffed  with  sophisms,  and  will 
begin  to  seek  your  happiness  in  some  other  way.  But  in 
the  meanwhile  you  might  certainly  show  yourself  at  my 
place  again.     I  should  like  to  know  what  you  would  say 


86  ly    PARADISE. 

to  my  dancing  girl ;  and  besides,  I  have  done  all  sorts  of 
other  things  since  you  were  there." 

"  I  will  come,  Hans.  You  know  how  I  delight  to  take 
to  heart  the  frightful  examj^le  of  industry  that  I  see  in 
your  saint  -  factory.  By  the  way — isn't  next  Saturday 
'  Paradise  ? ' " 

"  Certainly.  The  last  before  the  autumn.  Most  of 
the  fellows  have  already  begun  to  make  their  preparations 
for  the  summer  vacation,  and  in  fourteen  days  we  three 
shall  probably  be  almost  the  only  ones  who  still  hold  out 
in  the  city." 

They  left  the  studio,  the  painter  accompanying  them 
as  far  as  the  gate  of  the  front  yard,  and  taking  leave  of 
Felix  with  great  cordiality  and  the  hope  that  he  should 
see  him  often. 

"  What  is  this  about  '  Paradise  ? ' "  inquu-ed  the  latter, 
when  they  were  alone  in  the  street  again. 

"  You  shall  soon  see  for  yourself.  We  come  together 
once  a  month  and  attempt  to  delude  ourselves  into  the 
idea  that  it  is  possible  in  the  midst  of  this  world  to  throw 
off  the  hypocrisy  of  society,  and  return  once  more  to  a 
state  of  innocence.  And  for  a  few  years  past  we  have 
really  been  fairly  successful.  A  little  group  of  good  fel- 
lows has  been  brought  together,  who  are  all  equally  im- 
pressed with  the  worthlessness  of  our  social  state.  But, 
after  all,  the  German  is  not  a  social  creature  ;  that  which 
constitutes  the  charm  of  such  societies  among  the  Latins 
and  Slavs — the  delight  in  talking  for  talking's  sake,  a  cer- 
tain delicacy  in  lying,  and,  moreover,  an  early-acquired 
and  really  humane  tact  and  consideration  for  one's  neigh- 
bors— all  this  we  may  possibly  gain  in  time  in  some  of 
our  large  cities.  But  for  the  time  being  it  is  certainly 
foreign  to  the  genius  of  our  nation,  and  it  is  only  feebly 


IN   PARADISE.  87 

developed.  The  consequence  is  that  in  this  city  of  art, 
where  of  all  the  arts  that  of  sociability  is  most  behind- 
hand, one  has  to  choose  between  two  evils  :  the  conven- 
tional society  entertainments,  which  are  chiefly  devoted  to 
eating  and  drinking,  and  w^here  one  is  seldom  compensated 
for  the  constraint  of  cultivated  ennui  •  or  else  Philistinism 
over  the  beer-table.  For  this  reason  we  have  adopted  an- 
other plan,  which,  to  be  sure,  can  only  be  successful  when 
all  those  who  take  part  in  it  are  united  by  the  same  long- 
ing for  freedom,  and  the  same  respect  for  the  freedom  of 
their  neighbors.  For,  when  no  one  wraps  a  cloak  about 
him,  but  shows  himself  unrestrainedly  just  as  he  is,  no 
one,  on  the  other  hand,  has  a  right  to  pounce  maliciously 
on  the  weak  spots  which  his  neighbor  may  possibly  expose 
— and  each  must,  upon  the  whole,  be  so  constituted  that 
he  can  show  himself  in  his  true  character  without  being 
disagreeable." 


CHAPTER    X. 

In  the  first  days  of  his  wanderings  through  the  quaint 
old  streets — for  he  avoided,  as  far  as  possible,  the  new  and 
deserted  quarters  of  the  town — Felix  felt  to  the  full  the 
charm  of  South  German  life  ;  that  robust,  unrestrained 
power  of  enjoyment,  that  perpetual  holiday-mood,  whose 
motto  is  "  You  may  do  what  you  choose."  That  this  cheer- 
ful state  also  has  its  dark  sides  ;  that  it  is  not  possible, 
without  the  sacrifice  of  some  higher  benefits,  to  estab- 
lish an  average  of  character  and  education  which  makes 
all  classes  mingle  easily  ;  that  the  lack  of  a  proletariat 
brings  with  it  the  lack  of  a  rich  and  powerful  intellectual 
aristocracy — all    such    political    and   social  speculations 


88  IN   PARADISE. 

never  entered  our  friend's  head,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
his  travels  about  the  world  had  given  him  a  keen  insight 
into  the  civilization  of  different  countries.  In  a  spirit  of 
quiet  defiance,  he  took  delight  in  doing  here  the  very 
things  which  would  have  been  most  severely  frowned  on 
in  that  native  town  from  which  he  had  fled.  He  visited 
the  dingiest  restaurants  and  the  most  modest  beer-gardens, 
ate  from  an  uncovered  table,  and  drank  from  the  mug 
which  he  had  himself  washed  under  the  water-pipe  ;  and 
it  seemed  as  if  the  only  thing  wanting  to  make  his  happi- 
ness complete  was,  that  the  highly  aristocratic  society  with 
which  he  had  quaiTeled  should  happen  by  and  see,  in  silent 
horror,  how  happy  the  fugitive  was  in  his  self-imposed 
exile. 

And  yet,  since  everything  inspired  by  pique  carries 
with  it  a  secret  feeling  of  dissatisfaction,  he  was  after  all 
not  quite  contented.  Jolly  as  it  looked  to  wander  about 
again  at  his  own  sweet  will,  it  was,  after  all,  very  differ- 
ent from  what  it  had  been  years  before  when  he  first  spread 
his  wings.  In  short,  in  his  moments  of  reflection,  when 
he  neither  cared  to  forget  nor  to  deceive  himself,  he  was 
forced  to  admit,  Avith  a  kind  of  shame,  that  he  was  no 
longer  young  enough  to  goon  looking  upon  life  as  a  brill- 
iant adventure  amid  shifting  scenes,  and  that,  in  riper 
years,  more  depended  upon  the  piece  and  the  role  which 
one  jjlayed  in  it  than  upon  the  scenes  and  the  sj^ectators 
who  sit  before  the  footlights. 

True,  he  had  from  the  first  devoted  himself  zealous- 
ly to  his  new  apprenticeship.  But  his  conscience  was  too 
delicate  to  forget  what  Jansen  had  said  in  regard  to  his 
fitness  for  art.  Had  his  friend  congratulated  him  upon  his 
decision,  who  knows  but  what,  in  spite  of  all  that  was  want- 
ing to  his  hap2>inc3s,  he  might  have  felt  as  contented  as 


IN    PARADISE.  89 

it  is  possible  for  any  man  to  feel  in  this  imperfect  world  ? 
But  his  proud  heart  told  him  that  the  people  who  were 
now  to  be  his  associates  did  not,  in  their  hearts,  consider 
him  quite  genuine,  but  looked  upon  him  as  a  singular  be- 
ing, who,  from  mere  whim,  had  taken  up  with  art  instead 
of  with  some  other  noble  passion  more  suitable  to  his 
rank. 

This  unfortunate  feeling  was  still  further  heightened 
by  the  fact  that  his  relation  to  the  only  old  friend  he  had 
here,  for  Avhose  society  he  had  passionately  yearned,  did 
not,  in  spite  of  their  daily  intercourse,  ripen  again  into 
the  old  intimacy. 

When,  years  before,  they  had  become  acquainted  with 
one  another  in  Kiel,  where  Felix  lirst  began  the  study  of  the 
law,  they  had  soon  become  inseparable.  The  lonely  artist 
stood  in  special  need  of  a  friend  with  quick  perceptions, 
who,  in  those  early  days  when  his  talent  was  cautiously 
working  its  way  to  the  front,  could  fan  his  courage  by 
taking  a  lively  interest  in  his  work  ;  and  Felix  soon  saw 
enough  of  the  senseless  and  tasteless  life  led  by  his  fel- 
low-students to  make  him  long  for  other  society.  The 
hours  that  he  stole  from  his  beer-club  and  his  fencing- 
school,  in  order  to  work  with  Jansen  at  all  sorts  of  noble 
arts,  sometimes  makmg  an  attempt  himself  with  a  piece  of 
clay,  and  then  again  spending  the  evening  in  his  friend's 
simple  little  room  in  confidential  talk  over  a  very  frugal 
supper  and  some  modest  vnne,  were  looked  back  upon  as 
the  happiest  of  his  whole  youth.  Even  then  Jansen 
struck  people  as  a  very  original,  reserved,  strong,  and 
forceful  man,  who  had  no  needs  but  those  which  he  was 
able  to  supply  by  his  own  unaided  powers.  It  was  known 
that  he  sprang  from  a  peasant  family,  that,  impelled  by 
accidental  incentives  only  and  without  any  encouragement 


90  I^    PARADISE. 

from  teachers  or  patrons,  he  had  made  himself  an  artist  by 
the  force  of  his  iron  will.  How  he  also  succeeded  in  at- 
taining, in  other  fields,  such  an  education  that  it  was  not 
easy  for  any  one  to  detect  the  want  of  a  regular  course  of 
schooling,  was  scarcely  less  incomprehensible.  Gradually 
his  talent  began  to  attract  some  attention,  and  a  few  orders 
straggled  in,  which  enabled  him  to  earn  a  scanty  living. 
But  as  he  scorned  to  let  himself  be  lionized  in  society,  to 
be  petted  by  ladies  and  engaged  for  aesthetic  tea  parties, 
the  first  feeling  of  interest  soon  grew  cold ;  and  with  a 
shrug  of  the  shoulders  people  left  this  eccentric  individ- 
ual, who  placed  himself  in  such  sharp  antagonism  to  the 
modern  tendency  of  art,  to  himself  again,  and  to  his  pict- 
ures of  naked  gods  and  his  undisguised  contempt  for 
social  traditions. 

It  was  thus  that  Felix  found  him  then,  and  he  found 
him  but  little  different  now,  after  all  these  years  of  separa- 
tion— averse  to  all  intercourse  with  men  who  did  not  stand 
in  some  relation  or  other  to  his  art,  and  inaccessible,  so 
far  as  his  inner  life  was  concerned,  even  to  his  f ev,'  inti- 
mate acquaintances.  But  still  the  years  had  not  passed 
without  leaving  some  traces.  They  had  so  estranged  him, 
even  from  that  one  person  to  whom  he  had  then  loved  to 
unbosom  himself,  that,  after  the  first  outburst  of  his  oJd 
tenderness,  a  steady  medium  temperature  had  set  in  in 
the  relations  of  the  two  old  friends,  that  was  scarcely  a 
degree  wanner  than  that  between  Jansen  and  the  other 
members  of  the  little  circle.  During  the  long  hours  that 
the  pupil  spent  working  at  his  master's  side,  there  were 
hundreds  of  opportunities  to  talk  over  old  times.  But 
tlie  sciilptor  seemed  to  avoid  all  recollections  of  the  past. 
Then,  they  had  made  no  secret  to  one  another  of  their 
love-affairs  ;  and  now  Felix  made  several  attempts  to  re- 


IN    PARADISE.  91 

turn  to  the  subject  of  his  late  betrothal.  But,  when  he 
did  this,  it  was  as  if  some  dark  spectre  rose  up  before 
Jaiisen.  He  sought  to  give  the  conversation  a  general 
direction  with  some  bitter  sarcasm  or  forced  jest,  and  soon 
relapsed  into  more  sullen  silence  than  before. 

Felix  felt  how  heavily  this  cool  reseiwe  weighed  on 
his  spirits,  which  would  have  been  none  too  light  even 
without  it.  After  the  shipwreck  of  his  happ}^  love,  he  had 
tried  to  fall  back  upon  this  friendship  ;  and  now,  though 
he  had  indeed  found  firm  ground,  it  was  no  longer  the 
green  island  of  his  youth,  but  bare  and  inhospitable  ;  and 
the  soil,  which  was  then  so  yielding,  had  tui'ned  to  rugged 
rock. 

One  evening,  as  he  was  walking  down  the  Brienner- 
strasse,  alone,  and  not  in  the  most  cheerful  spirits,  he  met 
the  beautiful  stranger,  who  now  visited  Angelica  daily, 
but  who  was  jealously  guarded  by  the  latter  from  all  other 
eyes.  She  appeared  to  be  returning  home  from  a  walk, 
and  her  old  servant  walked  a  few  steps  behind  her,  carry- 
ing her  shawl,  Felix  bowed  to  her,  and  she  distantly  re- 
turned his  salute.  She  evidently  had  not  recognized  him. 
Then  he  saw  her  enter  the  house,  and  soon  afterward  the 
corner-room  on  the  ground-floor  was  lit  up  by  the  light 
of  a  lamp.  It  would  have  been  easy  for  him  to  watch 
her  proceedings  thi'ough  the  low  window.  But  he  did 
not  care  at  all  to  do  so,  though  he  admired  her  beauty. 
For  no  beautiful,  no  charming  face  could  cross  his  path 
without  carrying  his  thoughts  back  to  his  lost  love,  and 
plunging  him  in  a  melancholy  reverie. 

And  so  it  was  to-day.  And  suddenly  it  struck  him  as 
so  absurd  and  idiotic  for  him  to  be  wandering  about  alone 
in  this  utterly  strange  city,  among  people  who  cared  noth- 
ing- for  him,  separated  from  her  who  was  his  only  love. 


92  IN    PARADISE. 

that  he  could  not  help  bursting  out  into  a  laugh,  only  to 
sigh  all  the  more  sadly  the  next  minute. 

He  felt  the  impossibility,  in  his  present  mood,  of  join- 
ing his  friends,  who  were  waiting  for  him  at  a  beer-cellar. 
Jansen  was  generally  one  of  the  party.  But,  even  if  eve- 
rything between  them  had  remained  just  as  it  was  in  the 
old  times,  Felix  would  have  avoided  him  to-day. 

When  he  found  himself  in  such  a  mood  that  he  could 
not  endui'e  his  fellow-men,  he  generally  found  that  he  no- 
where felt  so  well  as  upon  horseback. 

He  went  to  a  stable  in  the  neighborhood,  and  was  soon 
cantering  across  the  Obeliskenplatz  on  a  powerful  horse. 
He  rode  down  the  beautiful  broad  street,  through  the 
marble  gate  of  the  Propylsea,  and  outside,  in  the  shady 
avenue  that  leads  to  the  NjTnpheuburger  Villa,  he  gave 
his  horse  full  rein.  But  even  here,  where  a  fresher  air 
blew  across  the  quiet  fields,  it  was  so  sultry  that  the  ani- 
mal soon  dropped  into  a  quieter  gait  of  his  own  accord. 

The  street  was  not  very  lively.  Only  a  few  Avorkmen 
were  strolling  home  from  the  town,  and  some  soldiers 
came  singing  arm-in-arm  out  of  a  tavern.  They  were 
walking  behind  a  girl  who  was  hastening  to  get  back  to 
town  before  it  grew  quite  dark.  She  was  neatly  dressed, 
of  a  very  pretty  figure,  and,  according  to  the  fashion  then 
in  vogue,  wore  her  hair  falling  loose  over  her  shoulders. 
This  seemed  to  incite  the  fellows  to  strike  up  an  acquaint- 
ance with  her,  and  the  short,  snappish  way  in  which  she 
repelled  their  advances  only  fanned  their  impudence  the 
liigher.  One  seized  her  by  her  fluttering  hair,  another 
laughingly  attempted  to  get  possession  of  her  arm  ;  and. 
as  it  chanced  that  the  foot-path  behind  the  trees  was  quite 
deserted,  she  would  have  tried  in  vain  to  shake  off  her 
tormentors  had  not  Felix  happened  to  gallop  up  just  at 


IN    PARADISE.  93 

that  moment.  He  shouted  to  the  fellows  in  a  loud  voice 
to  instantly  let  the  girl  alone,  and  go  to  the  devil.  Wheth- 
er they  took  him  for  an  officer  in  tmtfti,  or  were  fright- 
ened by  his  commanding  manner,  they  obeyed  at  once, 
and  started  across  the  fields  to  the  barracks,  whose  mas- 
sive structure  towered  from  afar  across  the  dark  meadow. 

The  deliverer  now  took  a  closer  look  at  the  girl. 
There  could  be  no  doubt  he  had  seen  this  little  nose,  these 
white  teeth,  and  that  red  hair,  once  before,  on  that  first 
morning  in  Jansen's  studio.  And  now  he  recalled  her 
name. 

"  Good  -  evening,  Fraulein  Zenz,"  he  said.  "  What 
lonely  and  dangerous  walks  you  take  !  " 

"  Dangerous  ! "  she  returned,  laughing,  for  she  had 
immediately  recognized  him.  "  What  is  there  dangerous 
about  it?  They  wouldn't  have  eaten  me.  I  can  take 
care  of  myself." 

"  But  if  I  hadn't  by  good  luck  come  up — " 

"  Do  you  suppose  I  couldn't  have  got  away  from  those 
two  without  your  help  ?  I  can  run  like  the  wind.  Yon 
couldn't  catch  me  even  on  horseback." 

"  We'll  see  about  that,  you  little  witch  !  If  you  don't 
look  out — " 

He  bent  over  and  began,  in  his  turn,  to  try  and  seize 
hold  of  her  hair.  But  her  slim  little  figure  instantly  spun 
round  on  its  heels,  so  that  her  long  locks  slipped  out  of 
his  hand  again,  and  then  she  sprang  like  lightning  over  the 
narrow  ditch  by  the  side  of  the  road,  and,  before  he  could 
collect  himself,  was  away  across  the  broad  field,  where  she 
suddenly  vanished  from  his  sight  as  if  by  miracle. 

His  horse  had  shied  at  the  girl's  quick  movement,  and, 
for  a  moment,  gave  his  master  enough  to  do  in  looking 
after  him.     Now,  when  he  had  quieted  him  again,  and. 


94  IN    PARADISE, 

half  laughing,  half  provoked,  had  dashed  into  the  meadow 
in  pursuit  of  the  fugitive,  he  could  find  no  trace  of  her. 
He  called  her  name,  spoke  to  her  persuasively,  and  prom- 
ised not  to  touch  her  any  more  if  she  would  only  show 
herself  again.  It  was  only  after  he  had  given  up  the 
search,  and  had  angrily  wheeled  his  horse  round  in  order 
to  ride  back  into  the  avenue,  that  he  heard,  from  behmd 
a  heap  of  stones  close  at  his  side,  which  he  had  overlooked 
in  his  zeal,  a  shrill  giggling  ;  and  suddenly  the  girl  sprang 
from  the  ground  and  coolly  marched  up  to  him. 

"  Now  you  see  that  you  couldn't  have  caught  me,  if 
I  had  not  wanted  you  to,"  she  cried,  "  Now  just  ride 
quietly  home  ;  I  can  find  my  way  well  enough." 

"  You  are  a  regular  witch — that's  what  you  are  !  "  he 
cried,  laughingly.  "  I  see  that  people  have  more  reason 
to  be  afraid  of  you  than  you  of  them.  But  listen,  Zenz, 
since  we  have  chanced  to  meet  in  this  way,  tell  me  now 
why  you  won't  come  to  Herr  Jansen's  any  more  ?  " 

The  question  seemed  to  be  disagreeable  to  her.  She 
turned  sharply  on  her  heel,  and  said,  defiantly,  beginning 
to  put  her  dishevelled  hair  in  order  :  "  ^^^^at  is  that  to 
you  ?  What  do  you  know  about  me,  anyway  ?  I  can  do 
as  I  like,  I  suppose." 

"  To  be  sure,  Zenz.  But  it  would  be  veiy  nice  of  you 
if  you  would  listen  to  reason,  and  show  yourself  again. 
I  am  an  artist,  too,  and  would  like  very  much  to  make  a 
sketch  of  you.  Or,  if  you  don't  want  to  come  to  the  big 
studio  any  more,  I  have  a  very  quiet  lodging,  and  not  a 
soul  would  find  it  out  if  you  came  to  me  ;  you  may  be 
sure  no  one  would  do  you  any  harm,  and  I  would  give 
you  a  good  reward — and  you  should  choose  what  you 
would  have." 

AVhile  he  was  speaking  she  had  never  left  off  shaking 


IN    PARADISE.  95 

her  head.  What  her  expression  was  he  could  not  see,  for 
she  had  sunk  her  chin  on  her  breast.  Now  she  suddenly 
looked  up  at  him  and  said,  with  a  little  laugh  that  became 
her  charmingly,  while  she  twisted  her  streaming  hair  into 
a  thick  knot :  "  I  would  just  like  to  sit  on  horseback  once, 
and  ride  round  real  fast  in  a  circle." 

"  If  it's  nothing  more  than  that,"  he  laughed,  "  come  ! 
Don't  be  afraid,  but  put  your  foot  in  the  stirrup." 

He  bent  down  over  her  again,  grasped  her  under  the 
arm  that  she  reached  out  to  liim,  and  swung  up  the  light 
little  figure  as  if  it  had  been  a  feather  ;  then  he  let  her 
down  on  the  saddle  before  him  and  seized  the  bridle.  She 
instantly  clasped  her  arms  tight  round  his  body,  and  clung 
so  close  to  him  that  for  a  moment  she  almost  took  his 
breath  away,  "Do  you  sit  firmly?"  he  called  to  her. 
She  nodded,  and  laughed  softly  to  herself.  Then  he  set 
his  horse  in  motion  and  began  to  ride  round  in  a  cii'cle,  at 
first  slowly,  then  faster  and  faster,  and  she  sat  before  him 
on  the  saddle  without  moving,  and  pressed  her  head  close 
against  his  breast. 

"  Is  that  what  you  like  ?  "  he  cried  ;  "  or  shall  I  stop  ?  " 

She  did  not  answer. 

"How  would  it  be,"  he  said,  "if  now  I  should  trot 
back  to  town  with  you,  and  not  draw  rein  until  I  came  to 
my  house?  You  would  have  to  come  with  me,  then, 
whether  you  wanted  to  or  not,  and  do  what  I  asked  you. 
Ai-en't  you  quite  in  my  power  now  ?  " 

He  reined  in  the  horse  for  a  moment,  as  though  to 
give  her  opportunity  to  settle  hei'self  for  a  longer  ride. 
But  suddenly  he  felt  how  her  arms  unclasped,  and  in  the 
next  instant  she  had  slid  down  from  the  saddle,  and  stood 
before  him  in  the  dusk,  out  of  breath  and  rearranging  her 
light  dress. 


96  IN    PARADISi:. 

"I  thank  you  very  much."  she  said.  "It  was  very 
jolly  ;  but,  now,  that's  enough.  And  all  the  rest  is  non- 
sense, and  so,  good-night !  If  you  can  catch  me  again 
you  may  keep  me  !  " 

In  a  second  she  had  sprung  away  and  disappeared  be- 
hind the  nearest  houses.  Even  if  he  had  been  seriously 
inclined  to  follow  her,  he  would  never  have  been  able  to 
find  her  trail  again  among  the  gardens  and  hedges  that 
bordered  the  field. 

A  few  passers-by  had  watched  this  singular  perform- 
ance from  the  avenue.  He  heard  all  sort  of  jokes  that  he 
did  not  understand.  "  Thank  God  !  "  he  said  to  himself, 
"  if  I  had  allowed  myself  to  do  such  a  thing  in  my  own 
dear  home,  the  whole  town  would  be  talking  of  nothing 
else  to-morrow,  besides  adding  all  sorts  of  exaggerations. 
But  here — '  Hier  bin  ich  Mensch,  hier  darf  ich's  sein  ! ' 
Long  live  golden  liberty  !  " 

He  rode  back  to  town  in  merry  mood.  He  imagined 
that  he  could  still  feel  the  arms  of  the  girl  about  his 
breast,  and  her  warm  breath  on  his  face.  His  blood  had 
not  been  cooled  by  his  ride,  as  he  had  hoped,  and  the 
sharp  trot  to  which  he  spurred  on  his  horse  did  not  help 
him.  He  gave  up  the  reeking  horse  at  the  riding-school, 
and  then  turned  into  the  Briennerstrasse,  in  order  to  sit 
awhile  in  the  Court  Garden,  and  eat  an  ice  and  nurse  his 
dreams. 

When  he  came  back  to  the  house  where  Julie  lived, 
he  checked  himself  suddenly.  Who  was  that  standing 
motionless  by  the  garden  fence,  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  the 
bright  parterre  window  ?     Jansen  ? 

Felix  made  a  wide  circuit  to  avoid  him,  and  stood 
looking  at  him  on  the  other  side  of  the  street  in  the 
shadow  of  the  houses.     For  a  good  half  hour  he  saw  his 


IN    PARADISE.  97 

friend  opposite  continue  at  his  post.  Then  the  window 
was  closed  by  a  heavy  curtain,  and,  immediately  after, 
the  watcher  at  the  gate  tore  himself  away  and  departed 
slowly. 

Felix  did  not  follow  him.  He  scorned  to  be  a  spy  on 
the  secret  ways  of  his  friend.  What  chance  had  disclosed 
to  him  gave  him  enough  to  think  about  for  to-day,  with- 
out being  able  to  find  a  solution  to  the  riddle. 


BOOK  II. 


CHAPTER   I. 

It  was  unusually  still  in  Angelica's  studio,  so  still  that 
one  could  plainly  hear,  through  the  thin  wall  that  sepa- 
rated her  from  her  neighbor,  the  cheerful  squeak  of  his 
white  mice.  This  was  always  a  sign  that  their  master 
was,  as  he  expressed  it,  on  the  rampage,  wielding  his 
brush  in  the  thick  of  the  battle  of  Liitzen. 

Angelica,  too,  was  very  busy.  But  although  she  usu- 
ally liked  to  chat  over  her  work,  to  keep  the  people  who 
sat  to  her  from  falling  asleep,  to-day  she  rarely  opened 
her  lips.  It  was  the  last  sitting  ;  the  last  touch,  which, 
after  all,  is  always  a  new  beginning,  was  to  be  given  to 
the  picture — every  stroke  of  the  brush  decided  the  fate 
of  a  nuance,  the  success  or  failure  of  an  expression. 

In  order  to  work  more  surely,  she  had  put  on  a  pair  of 
spectacles,  that  can  scarcely  be  said  to  have  improved  her 
appearance,  and  the  painting-jacket,  on  the  left  sleeve  of 
which  she  was  accustomed  to  wipe  her  brush,  had  burst 
open  in  the  ardor  of  her  work,  and,  with  her  lance-like 
maulstick  and  her  shield-like  palate,  gave  a  certain  pug- 
nacious aspect  to  her  good,  honest  face,  as  if  she  were 
engaged  in  a  struggle  for  the  release  of  the  enchanted 
princess  who  sat  in  a  chair  opposite  her,  and  who  was  also 
unusually  quiet.     Whether  Julie  was  turning  over  in  her 


IN    PARADISE.  99 

mind  some  especially  serious  thought,  or  had,  like  all  peo- 
ple sitting  to  a  painter,  merely  fallen  under  the  influence 
of  a  certain  absent-minded  melancholy,  it  was  impossible 
to  make  out. 

She  was  especially  beautiful  to-day.  Instead  of  her 
raw-silk  dress,  she  wore  a  lighter  stuff  of  transparent 
black,  through  which  gleamed  her  white  neck.  Angelica 
had  planned  this  in  order  that  all  the  light  might  be  con- 
centrated on  the  face  ;  and  the  arrangement  of  the  hair, 
which  left  the  contour  of  the  head  fully  visible  and  al- 
lowed a  few  simply-braided  locks  to  flow  over  the  shoul- 
ders, was  a  special  invention  of  the  artist.  Now,  in  the 
steady  light,  the  dead  white  of  her  complexion,  and  the 
soft  blond  of  her  hair,  shone  out  so  gently  subdued  and 
yet  so  clear,  and  the  eyes,  under  the  brown  lashes,  had, 
with  all  their  softness,  such  a  fiery  sparkle,  that  one 
could  appreciate  Angelica's  assertion  that  a  thing  of  this 
sort  could  not  be  painted — gold,  pearls,  and  sapphires 
were  the  only  materials  with  which  to  rival  this  fusion 
of  color. 

It  is  true,  the  first  bloom  of  youth  was  passed.  A  keen 
eye  could  detect  a  wrinkle  here  and  there,  a  certain  sharp- 
ness of  feature,  and  the  easy  grace  A\dth  which  her  noble 
figure  moved  left  no  doubt  that  she  had  passed  those 
years  when  a  girl  is  always  turning  this  way  and  that, 
like  a  bird  on  a  branch,  as  if  always  on  the  point  of  flut- 
tering away  into  the  unknown,  tempting,  beautiful  life 
outside,  or  else  glancing  eagerly  around  to  see  whether  a 
hunter  or  trapper  is  in  sight. 

For  that  matter  it  would  have  been  hard  to  conceive 
that  this  still,  reserved,  charming  creature  had  ever  com- 
mitted the  usual  school-girl  follies.  But  as  soon  as  she 
began  to  speak,  and  especially  to  laugh,  her  expressive 


100  •'■-^^    PARADISE. 

face  beamed  with  youthful  merriment,  her  eyes,  which 
were  a  little  near-sighted,  slightly  closed  and  took  on  a 
mischievous  look,  and  only  her  firm  mouth  retained  its 
expression  of  thoughtful  determination.  "The  rest  of 
your  face,"  said  Angelica  at  the  very  fii-st  sitting,  "  was 
given  you  by  God  ;  for  your  mouth  you  must  thank 
yourself." 

She  had  intended  by  this  remark  to  lead  up  to  a  con- 
versation about  careers  and  experiences  ;  but  the  only  an- 
swer was  a  meaning,  yet  reserved,  smile  from  the  mouth 
of  which  she  spoke.  Angelica  was  a  girl  of  delicate  feel- 
ing ;  she  was  naturally  burning  with  curiosity  to  learn 
more  of  the  past  life  of  her  admired  conquest.  But,  after 
the  repulse  of  her  first  attempts,  she  was  much  too  proud 
to  beg  for  a  confidence  that  was  not  proffered.  For  this 
self-denial  she  was  to-day  to  be  rewarded,  for  Julie  sud- 
denly opened  her  lips,  and  said  with  a  sigh  : 

"You  are  one  of  the  happiest  human  beings  I  ever 
knew,  Angelica." 

"  Hm  ! "  replied  the  artist.  "  And  why  do  I  seem 
so  ?  " 

"Because  you  are  not  only  free,  but  know  how  to 
make  some  use  of  your  freedom." 

"  If  it  were  only  a  good  use  !  But  do  you  really  be- 
lieve, dear  Julie,  that  my  pictures  of  *  flower,  fruit,  and 
thorn  pieces,'  and  my  bungling  attempts  to  imitate  God's 
likeness,  have  made  me  imagine  that  I  am  an  especially 
interesting  example  of  my  class  ?  Dearest  friend,  what 
you  call  happiness  is  really  only  the  well-known  '  German 
happiness ' — a  happiness,  because  it  is  not  a  greater  un- 
happiness — a  happiness  of  necessity." 

"I  can  well  understand,"  continued  Julie,  "that  a 
moment  never  comes  when  one  feels  perfectly  contented  ; 


IN   PARADISE.  101 

when  one,  so  to  speak,  has  reached  the  summit  of  the 
mountain,  and  looks  around  and  says  :  there  is  nothing 
higher  than  this,  unless  one  steps  straight  into  the  clouds. 
But  yet  you  love  your  art,  and  I  think  you  can  busy 
yourself  all  day,  your  whole  life  long,  with  anything  you 
love — " 

"  If  I  only  knew  whether  it  loved  me  in  return  ! 
Don't  you  see,  there  lies  the  rub  ;  a  most  *  devilish '  rub, 
Herr  Rosebud  would  say.  Are  you  really  consecrated  to 
art — I  mean  consecrated  by  the  grace  of  God — when,  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  the  merest  chance  in  the  world,  you  would 
never  have  touched  a  brush  ?  " 

"  You  would  never  have  touched  a  brush  !  " 
"  Certainly  ;  but  instead  of  it  a  common  kitchen-spoon 
and  similar  household  utensils.  Why  do  you  look  at  me 
incredulously?  Do  you  think  I  have  been  all  my  life 
a  plain  old  maid?  I,  too,  was  once  seventeen  years 
old,  and  by  no  means  ill-looking — naturally  not  to  be 
compared  to  what  is  now  sitting  opposite  me — not  a  regu- 
lar feature  in  my  whole  pretty  face,  no  form,  no  style, 
merely  the  ordinary  heaui'e  du  diable.  But,  if  one  may 
trust  certain  evidences — though  my  archives  of  sonnets, 
ball-favors,  and  other  delicate  offerings  of  the  sort  are 
burned,  to  be  sure — I  was  as  neat  and  attractive  a  young 
person  as  thousands  of  others.  I  had  plenty  of  mother 
wit,  you  could  read  in  my  eyes  that  I  had  a  good  heart, 
and,  besides,  I  was  by  no  means  poor.  Why  should  I 
have  lacked  suitors  ?  No,  my  dear,  I  even  had  a  choice  ; 
and  although  I  do  not  now  understand  why  I  preferred 
one  particular  mortal  to  all  others,  I  must  have  known 
well  enough  at  the  time.  I  dimly  remember  how  won- 
derfully happy,  joyous,  and  in  love  I  was  !  If  all  had 
gone  on  in  the  beaten  track,  I  should  probably  have  al- 


103  IN    PARADISE. 

ways  been  as  happy  and  as  much  in  love — constancy  is 
my  chief  fault — even  if  no  longer  so  joyous.  But  this 
was  not  to  be.  My  betrothed  was  drowned  Mobile  bathing 
— just  think  of  it,  what  an  absurd  misfortune  !  I  was 
driven  into  a  brain  fever  by  the  shock  and  grief  ;  when  I 
got  up  from  it  my  little  heaute  du  cliahle  had  gone  to  the 
cliable.  The  next  few  years  were  spent  as  a  widowed 
bride,  in  tears  ;  and,  when  these  gradually  ceased  to  flow, 
I  was  a  plain,  prematurely-faded  person,  with  a  heart  to 
be  sure  that  had  never  yet  fairly  blossomed  out,  but  about 
which  no  one  troubled  himself  particularly.  It  was  at 
that  time  also  that  we  lost  our  little  property,  and  I  was 
obliged  to  take  up  with  some  pursuit  or  other  ;  then  it 
turned  out  to  be  good  luck  that  even  as  a  child  at  school 
I  had  wasted  much  time  on  drawing  and  painting.  Do 
you  believe,  dear  friend,  that  a  virtue  which  one  makes 
in  this  way  out  of  a  necessity — no  matter  how  deserving 
it  may  be — can  ever  make  a  mortal  thoroughly  happy  at 
heart  ?  " 

"  Why  not,  when  all  kinds  of  happiness  come  with  it, 
as  has  been  the  case  with  you  ?  You  Aasited  Italy  with 
that  kind  old  lady  about  whom  you  told  me  such  nice 
stories  the  other  day  ;  you  can  work  at  your  art  here  in 
perfect  freedom,  Avithout  anxiety,  thanks  to  the  legacy  of 
your  motherly  friend  ;  you  live  in  this  beautiful  city,  in 
the  society  of  friends  and  colleagues  in  art  by  whom  you 
are  respected — is  all  that  nothing  ?  " 

"  True,  it  is  a  great  deal,  and  yet — I  will  whisper 
something  in  your  ear — let  it  be  entirely  between  our- 
selves, and  if  I  did  not  love  you  so  imreasonably  that 
you  might  ask  anything  of  me  I  would  sooner  bite  off 
my  tongue  than  confess  it  to  any  living  mortal  —  if  I 
should  become,  in  the  course  of  time,  as  celebrated  as  my 


IN    PARADISE.  103 

namesake  (whose  pictures,  it  must  be  confessed,  always 
appear  to  me  to  be  very  stupid),  or  even  should  in  so  far 
succeed  as  to  become  contented  with  myself  as  an  artist, 
I  would  give  up  all  this  exceptional  good  fortune  for  an 
ordinary,  humdrum  happiness  ;  a  good  husband,  who  need 
not  even  be  a  remarkable  combination  of  excellences,  and 
a  few  pretty  childi'en,  who,  for  all  I  care,  might  be  a  little 
bit  boisterous  and  naughty.  There,  now  you  know  all 
about  it,  and  you  will  laugh  at  me  because  I  so  naively 
confessed  to  you  w^hat  we  women  generally  hide  like  a 
sin." 

"You  would  certainly  have  made  a  splendid  house- 
wife," said  Julie,  musingly.  "  You  are  so  good,  so  wai-m- 
hearted,  so  unselfish ;  you  might  have  made  a  husband 
very  happy.  I — when  I  compare  myself  with  you — but 
why  shouldn't  we  call  each  other  '  du  ? '  I  have  had  all 
sorts  of  unpleasant  experiences  with  women  friends  with 
whom  I  have  used  that  familiar  form,  and  that  is  the  rea- 
son I  have  been  so  slow  about  it  with  you — .  Stop,  stop, 
you  must  leave  my  head  on  my  shoulders!  —  you  are 
squeezing  me  to  death — if  I  had  only  known  it  sooner  ! 
And  who  knows  but  what  if  you  learn  to  know  me 
better—." 

The  artist  had  thrown  away  palette  and  maulstick,  and 
had,  after  her  enthusiastic  fashion,  rushed  upon  the  adored 
friend  who  had  at  last  made  this  return  for  her  worship. 

"  If  I  should  know  you  a  hundred  years,  I'll  take  care 
to  love  you  a  hundred  times  more  dearly  ! "  she  cried,  as, 
kneeling  down  before  Julie,  she  folded  her  hands  in  her 
lap  with  a  droll  vivacity,  and  gazed  reverentially  through 
her  spectacles  at  the  beautiful  face. 

"  No,"  said  her  friend  earnestly,  "  you  do  not  really 
know  me  yet.     Have  you  any  suspicion  that  by  my  own 


104  I^   PARADISE. 

fault  I  have  thrown  away  that  happiness  for  which  you 
long,  because,  even  as  my  best  friends  said,  I  was  heart- 
less ?  " 

"  Nonsense  !  "  cried  Angelica.  "  You  heartless  ?  Then 
I  am  a  crocodile  and  live  on  human  flesh  !  " 

Julie  smiled. 

"  "Were  they  right  ?  Perhaps.  I  don't  believe  it  my- 
self. But  you  know  it  is  such  a  universal  fashion  to  show 
one's  self  'full  of  heart,'  to  express  feeling,  sympathy, 
tenderness,  even  when  one  remains  perfectly  cold,  that 
the  Cordelias  will  always  be  at  a  disadvantage.  Even 
when  very  young,  and  perhaps  by  inheritance  from  my 
father,'  who  was  a  strict,  and  on  the  surface  a  severe,  old 
soldier,  not  much  given  to  demonstrations — even  when  a 
school-girl  I  felt  a  disgust  for  sweetness  and  suavity,  for 
affected  sentimentality  and  humility — for  all  that  conven- 
tional amiability  behind  which  the  most  cruel  envy,  the 
most  icy  egotism,  lurk  concealed.  I  could  never  take 
kindly  to  sentimental  bosom-friendship,  to  compacts  of 
the  heart  for  life  and  death,  that  were  suddenly  broken 
up  by  a  ball-room  rivalry,  an  honest  reproof,  or  even  by 
pure  enyiui.  My  first  experience  in  this  respect  was  my 
last.  And  how  much  sincere  liking,  and  fidelity,  and 
unappreciated  self-sacrifice  I  wasted  on  this  child's  play  ! 
From  that  time  forth  I  knew  how  to  take  better  care  of 
myself.  And,  in  truth,  it  was  not  difiicult  for  me  to  keep 
guard  over  my  heart.  I  lived  with  my  old  parents,  wh» 
both  appeared,  on  the  surface,  dry  and  pedantic  ;  but  who 
understood  the  art  of  making  for  themselves  and  me  a 
rich,  wann,  and  beautiful  life,  that  gave  my  thoughts  and 
feelings  ample  nourishment.  I  modeled  myself  after 
them,  and  spoke  much  the  same  language.  I  must  in- 
deed have  borne  myself  rather  strangely,  when,  in   the 


IN    PARADISE.  105 

society  of  young  people,  I  expressed  myself  with  regard 
to  certain  conventional  feelings  in  scornful  terms  which 
might  have  been  pardoned  to  an  old  soldier,  but  which 
did  not  become  his  daughter.  I  meant  no  harm  with  it 
all.  On  many  occasions,  when  others  were  moved  to 
tears  or  enthusiasm,  I  really  experienced  no  sensation 
whatever,  unless  it  were  a  feeling  of  discomfort.  But  as 
often  as  anything  really  touched  me — ^beautiful  music,  a 
poem  or  some  solemn  impression  of  Nature,  I  became  per- 
fectly dumb,  and  could  not  join  in  the  enthusiastic  prattle 
that  went  on  in  the  circle  about  me.  Out  of  pure  con- 
tempt for  phrases,  I  assumed,  in  defiance  of  my  real  feel- 
ings, to  be  cool  and  critical,  and  had  to  bear  being  told 
that  there  was  no  getting  on  with  me,  that  these  secret 
joys  must  always  remain  closed  to  me,  a  girl  without  a 
heart.  I  smiled  at  this,  and  my  smile  confirmed  these 
fine-strung  souls  in  their  belief  in  my  lack  of  feeling.  As 
it  so  happened  that  I  found  none  of  them  all  amiable 
enough  to  love  in  spite  of  these  bad  practices,  I  didn't 
care  in  the  least  for  my  isolation.  I  had  fared  thus  with 
my  own  sex,  and  soon  I  was  to  find  that  I  did  not  succeed 
much  better  with  young  men.  I  was  not  long  in  observ- 
ing that  the  stronger  sex  merely  had  other,  and  by  no 
means  more  amiable,  weaknesses  than  we  ;  above  all,  that 
they  were  much  vainer,  and  so  care  most  for  those  of 
us  Avho  are  willing  to  do  homage  to  their  manly  supe- 
riority. What  is  generally  called  maidenly  modesty, 
womanly  tenderness,  and  virginal  feeling — is  it  not,  in 
ninety  cases  out  of  a  hundred,  a  craftily-planned  artificial 
stratagem  for  making  fools  of  these  mighty  lords  of  crea- 
tion ?  Here  they  find  what  they  want.  Do  they  not 
meet  in  this  pliant,  yielding,  dependent  being  the  best 
supplement  to  their  dominant  natures,  the  most  touching 


106  IN    PARADISE. 

submission  to  their  higher  will,  an  accurately-toned  echo 
of  all  their  most  excellent  wishes  and  thoughts  ?  After- 
ward, when  the  purpose  of  the  pretty  comedy  has  been 
attained,  the  mask  is  laid  aside  quickly  enough ;  we  good 
lambs  show  that  we,  too,  have  a  will  and  a  mind  and  a 
power  of  our  own,  and  the  beautiful  delusion  is  rudely 
dissipated.  As  soon  as  I  had  come  to  clearly  recognize 
this,  I  felt  the  bitterest  disgust  for  it.  Soon,  however, 
I  was  forced  to  laugh,  and  to  say  to  myself,  this  farce  is 
as  old  as  the  world  !  If,  notwithstanding  this,  the  proud 
lords  of  creation  still  permit  themselves  to  be  deceived, 
they  must,  in  one  way  or  another,  find  some  advantage 
in  it.  But  I  could  not  even  then  bring  myself  to  join  in 
the  game,  as  I  saw  all  the  rest  do.  I  cared  nothing  for 
the  object  which  made  these  petty  means  holy  to  all  the 
others.  Merely  to  please  the  men  in  general  ?  To  do  this 
I  had  no  need  to  exert  myself  especially,  for  I  resembled 
my  mother,  who  had  passed  for  a  beauty.  And  to  have 
won  the  love  of  a  man  it  would  have  been  necessary  for 
him  to  have  first  taken  my  fancy,  for  him  to  have  first 
become  dangerous  to  "me.  But  it  never  came  to  that. 
Really,  I  often  thought,  have  you  a  heart,  or  have  you 
none,  since  it  feels  notliing  at  all  in  the  society  of  these 
gay  officers,  students,  and  artists,  who  are  such  good 
dancers,  have  such  a  triumphant  mien,  and  such  faultless 
white  cravats,  and  who,  with  the  most  condescending 
superiority,  allow  themselves  to  be  enticed  into  the  snare 
by  all  these  timid,  blushing,  demure,  SAveet  creatures,  who 
are  all  the  while  secretly  laughing  in  their  sleeves." 

Julie  paused  for  a  while  with  downcast  eyes.  "  It  is 
strange,"  said  she,  with  a  sigh,  "  how  we  happened  to 
come  upon  these  old  stories  !  You  must  know,  my  dear, 
they  are  recdly  very  old — older  than  you  think.     I  shall 


IN    PARADISE.  107 

soon  be  thirty-one  years  old !  Wlien  I  first  began  to 
make  these  observations  I  was  eighteen  —  now  you  can 
subtract  for  yourself.  If  I  had  married  then,  I  might 
now  have  had  a  daughter  twelve  years  old.  Instead  of 
that  I  am  a  well-preserved  old  maid,  and  my  only  ad- 
mirer is  a  silly  painter,  who  has  fallen  in  love  with  me 
merely  out  of  a  whim  for  color." 

"  No,"  said  Angelica,  who,  in  the  mean  time,  had  zeal- 
ously gone  on  with  her  painting,  "  I  won't  be  put  aside 
in  that  way.  I  always  did  consider  the  men  pretty  stupid, 
because,  as  you  very  rightly  said,  they  allow  themselves 
to  be  caught  by  such  clumsy  tricks  and  artifices.  But 
that  they  should  not  have  recognized  your  worth,  that 
they  should  not  have  cut  each  others'  throats  about  you 
— as  they  did  before  Troy  for  that  Grecian  Avitch — that  is 
really  incomprehensible  to  me  !  They  cannot  all  be  so 
conceited  and  foolish  ;  and,  after  all,  there  must  be  a  few 
— I,  myself,  have  known  one  or  two — .  But  please  lower 
your  chin  just  a  trifle." 

"  Yes,  it  is  true,"  continued  Julie,  "  there  are  a  few. 
I  have  even  come  across  one  for  whose  sake  I  myself 
might  finally  have  been  induced  to  take  part  in  the  com- 
edy, had  not  all  talent  for  that  kind  of  thing  been  denied 
me.  What  his  name  was,  how  he  came  to  know  me,  can- 
not matter  to  you.  He  long  ago  married  another,  and 
has  probably  forgotten  all  of  me  but  my  name — if  not 
that.  I  —  one  of  us  never  forgets  such  an  experience, 
even  when  it  lies  dead  and  buried  in  some  comer  of 
our  hearts  ;  for  that  I  had  a  heart,  as  well  as  other  peo- 
ple, I  discovered  at  that  time  only  too  plainly — I  pleased 
him  exceedingly — he  took  care  to  let  me  see  this  on  every 
occasion — and  then  he  really  was  better  by  far,  and  much 
less  infected  by.  conceit  and  selfishness  than  most  of  the 


108  IN    PARADISE. 

others  ;  and  my  straight-forward  way  of  showing  myself 
just  as  I  was,  without  affecting  any  coquettish  sensibility, 
seemed  to  be  attractive  to  him  because  of  its  very  rarity. 
As  he  was  rich,  and  my  parents  were  well  off,  there  was, 
on  the  other  hand,  no  outward  hinderance  in  our  way. 
And  so,  although  no  binding  words  had  been  exchanged, 
we  were  tacitly  looked  upon  as  a  match — I  think  the  men 
relinquished  me  to  him  much  more  honestly  than  my 
female  friends  gave  up  this  much-sought  man  to  me.  To 
be  sure  I  myself  was,  even  in  this  case,  at  least  outwardly 
much  cooler  and  more  reserved  than  happy  lovers  gener- 
ally. I  was,  at  heart,  deeply  attached  to  the  man  of  my 
choice  ;  but  there  was  always  mixed  with  it  a  silent  fear, 
a  sort  of  lack  of  sympathy — perhaps  a  prophetic  impulse 
of  my  heart  that  warned  me  not  to  give  myself  up  abso- 
lutely and  entirely  to  this  love.  And,  one  day,  during  a 
conversation  about  an  accident  in  a  Brazilian  mine,  where 
fifty  men  had  suddenly  been  killed  by  an  explosion  of 
fire-damp,  the  storm  burst  upon  me,  and  I  had  to  suffer 
with  those  distant  victims.  All  were  deeply  lamenting 
over  the  occurrence,  as  is  the  fashion.  I  remained  silent ; 
and  when  my  betrothed  asked  me  whether  the  terrible 
accident  had  absolutely  petrified  me,  I  said  I  could  not 
help  it,  but  it  affected  me  very  little  more  than  if  I  had 
read  in  some  history  that  in  some  battle,  a  thousand  years 
ago,  ten  thousand  men  had  perished.  The  misery  of  this 
world  was  so  near  us  daily  and  hourly,  and  we  were,  for 
the  most  part,  so  culpably  indifferent  to  it,  that  I  could 
not  understand  why  I  should  all  of  a  sudden  be  expected 
to  feel  so  much  sympathy  for  a  misfortune  which  only  at- 
tracted attention  because  it  was  in  the  latest  newspaper  ; 
and  which  was,  moreover,  a  very  common  one  and  not 
even  accompanied  by  especially  hon'ible  circumstances. 


IK    PARADISE.  109 

I  had  scai'cely  said  this  when  they  all  fell  upon  me — at 
first,  of  course,  in  a  joking  way,  and  my  old  nickname 
— '  the  heartless  girl ' — was  raked  up  again  ;  but,  as  I 
kept  quiet  and  rather  sharply  repelled  the  accusations  of 
these  delicate  souls,  their  tempers  became  more  and  more 
aroused,  and  the  most  zealous  sermons  on  philanthropy 
were  launched  at  me  by  the  very  ones  who  would  not 
have  given  a  drink  of  water  to  a  sick  dog,  and  who  would 
only  succor  a  poor  man  if  it  didn't  make  them  too  much 
trouble.  My  friend,  too,  had  grown  silent,  after  having 
at  first  attempted  to  take  my  part.  But,  like  a  thorough 
man — for  such  he  always  remained — he  could  not  conceal 
from  himself  the  frightful  truth  that  I  was  by  no  means 
sufficiently  soft  and  womanly  in  my  feelings.  My  com- 
bative spii-it  began  to  trouble  him  more  and  more — I  could 
see  this  clearly — but  now  all  my  pride  was  enlisted  against 
any  smoothing  over  or  suppression  of  my  true  natui'e. 
Although  I  was  veiy  near  bursting  into  tears,  I  kept  up 
my  bravery,  fought  out  my  case,  and  had  the  miserable 
satisfaction  of  appearing  to  bear  off  the  victory.  A  dearly- 
purchased  victory  !  From  this  evening  my  lover  per- 
ceptibly began  to  draw  back,  my  '  best  friend '  took  it 
upon  herself  to  enlighten  him  more  and  more  concerning 
my  character  ;  and  since  she  herself  possessed  those  very 
traits  which  were  lacking  in  me,  and  which  alone,  it  is  said, 
can  guarantee  the  happiness  of  mariiage,  nothing  could 
be  more  natural  than  that  before  three  weeks  were  up  he 
should  become  engaged  to  this  sympathetic  being,  who 
for  thirteen  years  now  has — .  But  I  will  say  nothing  bad 
of  her.  She  has  certainly  done  me  a  great  service,  for, 
perhaps,  I  might  not  have  made  this  man  much  happier. 
And,  at  the  time,  she  spared  me  a  hard  spiritual  struggle. 
Had  I  been  actually  engaged,  I  might,  perhaps,  have  hesi- 


110  IN    PARADISE. 

tated  to  fulfill  the  duties  that  my  poor  mother  had  a  right 
to  demand  of  me.  For  you  must  know  that  my  father 
died  very  suddenly,  and  then  it  appeared  that  the  mother 
of  the  heartless  girl — who  also  passed  for  a  cold  character 
— concealed  a  much  more  passionate  love  under  an  austere 
exterior  than  most  old  women  are  accustomed  to  retain 
beyond  their  silver-wedding.  The  death  of  her  old  hus- 
band first  threw  my  mother  into  a  serious  illness,  and  then 
into  a  half -wandering  state,  in  which  she  lived  on  for  many 
years,  to  her  torture  and  to  mine  !  " 

She  paused  ;  then  she  suddenly  stood  up  and  stepped 
to  the  artist's  side  behind  the  easel. 

"  Pardon  me,  dear,"  she  said,  "  but  I  think  you  ought 
to  stop.  Every  additional  stroke  of  the  brush  that  tones 
down  or  paints  away  anything  will  make  it  look  less  like 
me.  Look  at  me  more  carefully — am  I  really  that  bloom- 
ing creature  that  beams  upon  the  world  from  out  that 
canvas  ?  Twelve  years  of  denial,  loneliness,  and  living 
entombment,  have  they  left  no  trace  upon  my  face  ? 
That  is  the  way  I  might  have  looked,  perhaps,  had  i 
known  happiness.  They  say,  you  know,  happiness  pre- 
serves youth.  But  I — I  am  horribly  old  !  And  yet,  in 
reality,  I  have  not  begun  to  live  !  " 

She  turned  hastily  away  and  walked  to  the  window. 

Angelica  laid  aside  her  palette,  went  softly  up  to  her, 
and  threw  her  arm  about  her  agitated  friend. 

"  Julie,"  said  she,  "  when  you  speak  that  way — you, 
who  by  a  mere  smile  could  tame  wild  animals  and  drive 
tame  men  mad  !  " 

She  turned  to  her  comforter,  and  the  tears  stood  in 
her  eyes. 

"Oh,  my  dear,"  she  said,  "  what  nonsense  you  are  talk- 
ing !    How  often  I  have  envied  a  young  peasant  girl,  with 


IN    PARADISE.  Ill 

an  ugly,  stupid  face,  who  brought  us  eggs  and  milk,  simply 
because  she  could  come  and  go  as  she  liked,  and  moved 
among  living  beings  !  But  I — can  you  conceive  what  it 
means  to  have  constantly  at  youi'  side  a  being  whom  you 
cannot  but  love,  and  yet  whom  you  are  forced  to  look 
upon  as  one  dead,  as  a  living  ghost ;  to  hear  the  voice 
that  once  caressed  you  utter  senseless  sounds,  to  see  the 
eye  that  once  beamed  on  you  so  warmly,  strange  and 
dimmed — the  eye,  the  voice,  of  your  own  mother  ?  And 
this,  year  in  and  year  out — and  this  half -dead  being  only 
waked  into  anxiety  and  agitation  whenever  I  made  an 
attempt  to  leave  her.  For,  truly,  when  I  had  borne  it  a 
year,  I  thought  I  was  being  crushed  by  it,  without  feel- 
ing the  satisfaction  that  the  sacrifice  of  my  life  could  be 
of  any  possible  service  to  this  most  miserable  being.  Yet 
as  often  as  she  missed  me  for  a  longer  time  than  the  few 
hours  daily  to  which  she  had  become  accustomed,  she 
lapsed  into  the  most  violent  uneasiness,  and  only  became 
quiet  again  when  she  saw  me  once  more.  I  had  to  recon- 
cile myself  to  the  idea  that  I  was  necessary  to  her  exist- 
ence— to  an  existence  that  I  could  by  no  possibility  make 
happy,  or  enliven,  or  even  lighten.  For  so  long  as  I  was 
at  her  side  she  scarcely  noticed  me  ;  indeed,  she  often 
appeared  not  even  to  recognize  me.  And  still  she  could 
not  exist  without  me  ;  and  in  the  asylum,  to  which  she  was 
once  carried  for  the  sake  of  an  experiment,  she  lapsed 
into  a  state  so  pitiable  that  even  '  a  girl  without  a  heart ' 
could  not  but  be  moved  by  it." 

"  Horrible  !  And  you  lived  with  her  in  this  way  for 
twelve  long  years  ?  " 

"  For  twelve  long  years  !  Does  it  still  seem  to  you  so 
incomprehensible,  so  'stupid'  of  the  men  that  they  did 
not  positively  force  themselves  upon  a  girl  who  would 


112  IN    PARADISE. 

have  brought,  with  a  little  bit  of  beauty  ana  property, 
this  face  into  their  house  ?  No,  dear,  the  men  are  not  so 
stupid,  after  all.  Even  if  I  had  been  engaged,  and  had 
loved  my  lover  with  my  whole  heart,  I  could  never  have 
expected  him  to  join  his  life  to  that  of  a  woman  who  was 
chained  fast  to  so  horrible  a  lot." 

"  But  now,  since  you  have  become  free —  " 
"  Free  !  A  fine  freedom  to  be  allowed  to  dance  when 
the  ball  is  over,  to  console  myself  with  artificial  or  painted 
flowers  for  the  rosy  time  that  was  neglected.  I  once  read 
somewhere  that  happiness  is  like  wine  ;  if  one  does  not 
drink  up  the  entire  cask  at  once,  but  pours  some  of  it  into 
bottles,  some  time  one  will  have  the  good  of  it.  It  will 
have  time  to  ripen  and  become  nobler,  if  it  is  of  the  right 
sort.  There  may  be  some  truth  in  this ;  but,  no  matter 
how  noble  it  may  be,  the  old  wine  has  lost  its  bouquet. 
The  happiness  that  one  hasn't  enjoyed  when  young  has 
a  bitter  taste  ;  and,  for  that  matter,  who  guarantees  that 
I  shall  ever  slake  my  thirst  again  ?  Many  thousands  never 
moisten  their  lips,  and  live  soberly  on.  Why  should  I  fare 
better  ?  Because  I  have  more  beauty  than  many  !  That 
would  be  fine,  indeed  !  Fate  is  not  in  the  least  gallant, 
and  draws  up  its  decrees  without  regard  to  persons.  Now, 
when  I  stand  before  the  glass,  I  always  see  the  same  well- 
known  face  that  has  lost  its  youth.  I  seem  to  myself 
like  a  silk  dress  that  has  hung  in  the  closet  for  twelve 
years.  When  one  takes  it  out  it  is  still  silk,  but  the  color 
has  faded,  the  folds  tear  when  it  is  touched,  and  when  it 
is  shaken  out  fly  the  moths !  But  I  have  let  enough  of 
them  fly  out  of  my  head  to-day.  There  is  no  use  in  going 
over  old  experiences.  Come  !  we  will  paint  a  little  more, 
and  then  go  and  take  a  drive — for  what  is  oui*  glorious 
liberty  for?" 


IN    PARADISE,  113 


CHAPTER    II. 

In  Jansen's  studio,  too,  there  was  more  talking  than 
working  going  on  this  morning. 

Edward  Rossel  had,  at  last,  in  spite  of  the  heat,  sum- 
moned up  sufficient  energy  to  undertake  the  short  walk 
thither.  A  gigantic  Panama  hat,  over  which  he  also  held 
a  sunshade,  protected  his  head ;  besides  this  he  wore  a 
summer  suit  of  snow-white  pique,  and  light  shoes  of  yel- 
low leather. 

He  was  in  a  very  good  humor,  praised  Felix  for  the 
assiduity  with  which  he  continued  to  study  his  skeleton, 
and  then  stepped  up  to  the  Dancing  Girl,  to  which  Jan- 
sen  had  just  put  the  finishing  touches. 

He  stood  silently  before  it  for  some  time,  then  he 
drew  up  a  chair  near  it  and  begged  Jansen  to  turn  the 
stand  so  that  he  would  be  able  to  view  the  work  from 
all  sides. 

His  friends  declared  that  it  was  a  pleasure  to  see  him 
look  at  anything.  His  glances  seemed  to  fairly  fasten 
upon  the  form,  or  rather  to  take  it  all  in  ;  all  the  muscles 
of  his  face  became  animated,  and  an  intellectual  tension 
curved  his  somewhat  languid  mouth. 

"  Well,"  asked  Jansen,  at  last,  "  how  does  it  strike 
you  ?     You  know  I  can  bear  anything." 

^^ Est,  est,  est!  What  is  there  to  be  said  about  it,  es- 
pecially ?  Naturally,  it  has  gained  and  lost,  as  is  always 
the  case.  The  innocent  audacity,  the  Pompeian  aban- 
don, that  charmed  me  in  the  little  sketch  has,  as  a  whole, 
suffered  in  the  execution.  You  might  do  better,  perhaps, 
to  disguise  your  respect  for  Nature  a  little  more.     And, 


114  IN    PARADISE. 

by-the-way — with  all  respect  for  this  Nature — what  sort 
of  a  model  did  you  have  ?  Of  course  it  is  very  strongly 
idealized  ?  " 

"  Not  in  the  least.     A  pure  facshnile.^^ 

'-  What  ?  This  neck  and  breast,  these  shoulders, 
arms — " 

"  A  conscientious  copy,  without  any  additions." 

Fat  Rossel  stood  up. 

"I  should  have  to  see  that  to  believe  it,"  he  said. 
"  Look  here,  compared  with  this  the  conventionalities  of 
Canova  are  mere  wretched  sugar- work.  And  that  is  what 
I  was  just  going  to  say  to  you — the  Grecian  element  that 
was  in  the  sketch  is  gone.  In  its  place  there  are  a  grace, 
an  €sj)rit,  an  elegance  of  form — and  that,  too,  of  a  spon- 
taneous sort.  Don't  you  find  it  so,  my  dear  baron  ?  You 
are  a  lucky  man,  Hans,  to  have  such  a  being  run  into 
your  hands.     In  what  garden  did  this  little  slip  grow  ?  " 

Jansen  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  Come,  out  with  it,  old  Jealousy  !  You  need  not  lend 
her  to  me  for  any  length  of  time — only  for  one  forenoon. 
I  happen  to  have  a  composition  in  mind,  for  which  this 
little  one — " 

"You  will  have  to  run  after  luck  more  persistently 
than  the  law  of  your  laziness  permits,"  added  Jansen, 
quietly.  "  I  myself  didn't  catch  it  by  the  forelock  this 
time  without  some  trouble  ;  and,  although  this  forelock 
is  very  thick,  and  shone  bcfoi'e  me  in  the  most  beautiful 
red—" 

"  Red  hair  ?  Now  no  dodges  will  help  you,  Jansen, 
you  must  hand  her  over  to  me.  Something  of  this  sort 
has  floated  before  my  fancy  for  weeks  past — something  of 
the  wood-nymph,  water-nymph  nature." 

"  Hand  her  over !     But  it  isn't  in  my  power.     Friend 


IN    PARADISE.  115 

Felix  happened  to  drop  in,  the  second  time  she  was  with 
me.  She  took  this  so  to  heart  that,  since  then,  she  has 
disappeared,  leaving  no  traces  behind  her." 

"  Is  there  virtue  under  this  beautiful  exterior  ?  So 
much  the  better.  Nature  will  enjoy  her  natural  bounds 
all  the  longer,  and  so  virtue  will  also  tend  to  the  benefit 
of  art.  Tell  me  where  she  lives — the  rest  shall  be  my 
care." 

He  noted  down  the  address,  which  was  written  in  char- 
coal on  the  wall  near  the  window,  and  then  advanced 
toward  the  large,  veiled  group  in  the  middle  of  the 
studio. 

"  How  far  have  you  got  with  the  Eve  ?  " 

"  Unfortunately,  I  can't  show  her  to  you  to-day,"  re- 
plied Jansen,  quickly.     "  She  is  just  at  a  stage — " 

"  What  the  devil !  "  laughed  Fat  Rossel ;  "  this  looks 
very  dangerous  !  How  long  is  it  since  you  have  fastened 
your  cloths  down  with  safety  pins?  Don't  you  want 
the  priests  to  snuif  around  here  when  they  wander  in  from 
the  saint-factory  ?  " 

A  knock  on  the  door  relieved  Jansen  from  the  evident 
embarrassment  of  answering.  The  door  opened,  and  An- 
gelica, in  her  painting- jacket  and  with  her  brush  behind 
her  ear,  just  as  she  had  come  from  her  easel,  appeared  on 
the  threshold. 

"  Good-day,  Herr  Jansen,"  she  said.  "  Ah  !  I  am  dis- 
turbing you.  You  have  company.  I  will  come  again 
later — I  merely  had  a  favor  to  ask." 

"  And  you  hesitate  to  give  utterance  to  this  request 
before  a  colleague  and  old  admirer  ?  "  cried  Rossel,  going 
up  to  the  artist  and  gallantly  kissing  her  hand.  "  If  you 
only  knew^  Fraulein  Angelica  how  this  undeserved  slight 
hurt  my  tender  heart !  " 


116  IN    PARADISE. 

"  Herr  Rossel,"  continued  the  artist,  "  you  are  a  scoffer, 
and,  as  a  punishment  for  boasting  of  a  tender  heart,  which 
you  do  not  possess,  you  shall  not  be  given  a  chance  to  see 
something  beautiful,  I  simply  wished  to  request  Herr 
Jansen  to  come  and  look  at  my  picture,  for  I  have  just 
had  my  last  sitting,  and  my  friend  has  given  me  permis- 
sion. She  knows  how  important  his  judgment  is  to 
me." 

"  But  if  I  vow  to  be  very  good,  and  not  to  open  my 
mouth — " 

"  You  have  such  a  deprecating  way  of  screwing  up 
the  corners — " 

"  I  will  hold  my  hat  before  my  face — only  my  eyes 
shall  peep  over  the  rim." 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  come  then  !  although  I  don't 
place  much  confidence  in  your  most  solemn  vows.  I  place 
myself  under  Herr  Jansen's  protection  ;  and  if  the  Herr 
Baron  would  perhaps  like  to  come  too  ?  " 

Jansen  had  not  spoken  a  word,  but,  with  conspicuous 
haste  had  exchanged  his  frock  for  a  coat  and  had  washed 
the  dust  from  his  hands. 

When  they  entered  the  studio  above,  they  found  Ro- 
senbusch  already  engaged  in  the  most  enthusiastic  admi- 
ration of  the  picture,  while,  at  the  same  time,  he  endeav- 
ored in  his  chivalrous  way,  to  bestow  at  least  half  of  his 
enthusiasm  upon  the  original. 

Julie  had  risen  and  gone  toward  his  chair.  When  she 
saw  Angelica  return  with  a  triple  escort,  instead  of  the 
one  she  expected,  she  seemed  slightly  confused.  But 
the  next  moment  she  greeted  the  gentlemen,  whom  An- 
gelica introduced  to  her,  with  easy  grace. 

A  pause  followed,  Jansen  had  stepped  before  the 
picture,  and,  with  the  great  authority  which  he  enjoyed 


IN    PARADISB.  117 

in  this  circle,  not  even  Edward  himself  dared  to  say  a 
word  before  he  had  expressed  his  opinion.  It  was  Jan- 
sen's  way  not  to  reduce  his  impression  immediately  to 
Avords,  But,  on  this  occasion,  he  remained  silent  unusu- 
ally long. 

"  Tell  me  frankly,  dear  friend,"  Angelica  began  at 
last,  "  that  I  have  once  more  undertaken  something  that 
deserves  the  palm  for  no  other  reason  than  for  its  audac- 
ity. If  you  only  knew  what  contemptuous  epithets  I 
have  heaped  upon  myself  while  I  was  painting  !  I  have 
made  myself  out  so  bad,  have  so  run  myself  down,  that 
Homo  would  not  take  a  piece  of  bread  from  me  if  he  had 
heard  me.  And  yet,  in  the  midst  of  my  dejection,  I  still 
took  such  unheard-of  pleasure  in  my  daubery  that,  do 
what  I  would,  I  could  not  let  my  courage  sink.  If  my 
friend  were  not  present,  I  should  be  able  to  explain  to  you 
the  reason  for  this.  As  it  is,  it  would  seem  in  very  bad 
taste  if  I  should  forthwith  make  her  a  declaration  of  love 
in  the  presence  of  witnesses." 

The  sculptor  still  remained  silent.  At  last  he  said, 
dryly, 

"  You  may  set  your  mind  at  rest,  Angelica.  Don't 
you  know  very  well  that  this  is  not  only  your  best  pict- 
ure, but,  moreover,  a  most  excellent  performance,  such  as 
one  only  too  seldom  meets  with  nowadays  ?  " 

A  deep  blush  of  joyful  embarrassment  suffused  the 
good-natured,  round  face  of  the  painter. 

"  Is  that  your  candid  opinion  ?  "  cried  she.  "  Oh,  my 
dear  Jansen !  if  it  only  is  not  meant  as  a  salve  for  the 
goadlngs  of  my  own  conscience — " 

Jansen  did  not  answer.  He  was  once  more  deeply 
absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of  the  picture.     Now  an^ 


118  IN    PARADISE. 

then  be  cast  a  critical  glance  at  the  original,  who  stood 
quietly  by  and  appe:ired  to  be  thinking  of  other  things. 

In  the  mean  while  Edward  labored  zealously  to  efface 
the  bad  opinion  that  Angelica  had  formed  of  his  love  for 
critical  mockery.  He  praised  the  work  highly  in  detail — 
the  drawing,  the  arrangement,  the  successful  coloring,  and 
the  simple  light  effects,  and  what  he  found  to  criticise  in 
the  details  of  the  technique  only  served  to  heighten  the 
worth  of  his  commendation  as  a  whole. 

"But,  do  you  know,"  he  said,  enthusiastically,  "this 
is  only  one  way  to  do  it,  a  very  skillful  and  talented  way, 
but  by  no  means  the  only  one.  What  do  you  say,  for 
instance,  to  dark-red  velvet,  a  light  golden  chain  around 
the  neck,  a  dark  carnation  in  the  hair — d  la  Paris  Bor- 
done  ?  or  a  gold  brocade — I  happen  to  have  a  magnifi- 
cent genuine  costume  at  home,  that  was  sent  to  me  last 
week  from  Venice  ?  or  shall  we  have  simply  the  hair  dis- 
heveled, a  dark  dress,  behind  it  a  laurel-bush — " 

"And  so  on,  with  graces  in  infinitxmi ! ''"'  laughed  the 
painter.  "  You  must  know,  Julie,  this  gentleman  has  al- 
ready painted  thousands  of  the  most  magnificent  pictures 
— unfortunately  nearly  all  in  imagination.  No,  my  dear 
Rossel,  we  are  obliged  to  you.  We  are  only  too  glad  to 
have  accomi^lished  it  in  this  very  modest  way,  and  to  have 
received  so  favorable  a  criticism.  My  dear  friend,  al- 
though she  is  an  angel  of  patience,  has  had  quite  enough 
to  do  with  the  fine  arts  for  some  time  to  come." 

"  O,  Angelica  ! "  sighed  Rossel  with  comical  pathos, 
"  you  are  merely  jealous  :  you  will  vouchsafe  to  no  other 
person  the  good  fortune  that  has  been  accorded  to  you. 
Now,  what  if  I  had  always  been  waiting  for  just  such  a 
task,  so  that  I,  too,  might  produce  something  immortal  ?  " 


IN    PARADISE.  119 

"  You  ? — your  laziness  is  all  that  is  immortal  about 
you  ! "  replied  the  painter. 

They  continued  for  a  while  to  chaff  and  plague  one 
another,  Rosenbusch  and  Felix  also  contributing  their 
share.  Jansen  alone  did  not  jest,  and  Julie,  too,  took 
advantage  of  her  slight  acquaintance  to  take  no  further 
part  in  the  conversation  than  common  politeness  de- 
manded. 

After  the  men  had  gone,  a  long  silence  followed  be- 
tween the  two  friends.  The  artist  had  taken  up  her 
palette  again,  in  order  that  she  might,  after  all,  make  use 
of  Rossel's  hints.     Suddenly  she  said  : 

"  Well,  how  did  he  please  you  ?  " 

"  Who  ?  " 

"  Why,  of  course,  there  can  be  only  one  in  question  : 
the  one  who  exerted  himself  least  to  please  anybody,  not 
even  you." 

"  Jansen  ?     Why,  I  scarcely  know  him  !  " 

"  One  knows  such  men  in  the  first  quarter  of  an  hour, 
when  one  is  as  old  as  we  two  are.  It  is  just  that  which 
distinguishes  the  great  men  and  the  thorough  artists  from 
the  petty  and  the  half-way  ones — one  knows  the  lion  by 
his  claws.  Just  one  look,  and  you  will  believe  him  capa- 
ble of  the  most  incredible  and  superhuman  things." 

"  I  really  believe,  my  dear,  you  are  in — " 

"  Love  with  him  !  No.  I  am,  at  all  events,  sensible 
enough  not  to  let  anything  so  nonsensical  as  that  enter 
my  head.  But,  if  he  were  to  say  to  me  :  'I  should  take 
it  as  a  favor,  Angelica,  if  you  would  just  eat  this  bladder- 
full  of  flake- white  for  your  breakfast,'  or,  '  if  you  would 
try  to  paint  with  your  foot,  it  would  afford  me  a  personal 
pleasure,'  I  believe  I  should  not  hesitate  a  moment.  I 
should  think  he  must  undoubtedly  have  his  reasons  for  it. 


120  IN    PARADISE. 

and  that  I  was  only  too  stupid  to  comprehend  them. 
Don't  you  see,  such  is  my  immovable  faith  in  this  un- 
precedented man,  so  impossible  does  it  seem  to  me  that 
he  could  do  anything  small,  foolish,  or  even  common- 
place. Something  horrible  —  jqs,  something  monstrous 
and  insane  —  I  could  believe  him  capable  of,  and  who 
knows  whether  he  has  not  really  done  something  of  the 
sort  ?  He  has  something  about  him  like  a  little  Vesuvius, 
that  stands  there  in  the  sun  peacefully  enough,  and  yet 
everybody  knows  what  is  boiling  inside.  His  friends  say 
of  Jansen  that,  if  the  Berserker  once  breaks  out  in  him, 
he  is  a  bad  man  to  deal  with.  I  felt  this  from  the  first, 
with  an  unerring  instinct,  and  I  hardly  dared  to  sneeze 
in  his  presence.  Then  I  chanced  to  meet  him  in  the  gai*- 
den,  near  the  fountain,  where  he  was  combing  his  Homo, 
and  showing  himself  pretty  awkward  at  it.  He  struck 
me  then  as  being  so  helpless  that  I  could  not  help  laugh- 
ing and  offering  myself  as  a  lady's  maid  for  the  dog,  at 
which  he  showed  great  delight.  That  broke  the  ice  be- 
tween us,  and,  since  then,  I  take  the  most  inconceivable 
liberties  with  him,  although  my  heart  still  continues  to 
thump  if  he  chances  to  look  at  me  in  his  quiet,  steady 
way,  for  a  minute  at  a  time." 

Julie  was  silent.  After  some  time  she  said,  sud- 
denly : 

"  It  is  true  he  has  eyes  such  as  I  have  never  before 
seen  in  a  man.  One  can  read  in  those  eyes  that  he  is  not 
happy  ;  all  his  genius  cannot  make  him  glad.  Don't  you 
find  it  so,  too  ?  "Wonderfully  lonely  eyes  !  Like  a  man 
who  has  lived  long  years  in  a  desert,  and  has  seen  no 
living  soul — nothing  but  earth  and  sun.  Do  you  know 
anything  of  his  life  ?  " 

"  No.     He  himself  never  speaks  of  it.     Nor  do  any  of 


IN    PARADISE.  131 

the  others  know  what  he  may  not  have  gone  through  be- 
fore he  came  to  Munich,  That  was  about  five  years  ago. 
But  now,  if  you  will  just  sit  still  a  moment  longer — so  ! 
— it's  only  for  the  reflection  in  the  left  eye,  and  the  re- 
touching about  the  mouth." 

Then  the  painting  went  on  for  another  hour  in  silence. 


CHAPTER    III. 

On  the  outskirts  of  the  "  English  Garden  "  there  lies, 
among  other  pleasure-resorts  of  its  class,  the  so-called 
"  Garden  of  Paradise."  In  the  midst  of  a  grove  stands  a 
large,  stately  building,  at  the  laying  of  whose  corner-stone 
no  one  would  have  ventured  to  predict  that  it  would  some 
day  become  a  place  of  refuge  for  so  mixed  a  company. 
Here,  on  summer  days,  merry  and  thirsty  folk  are  wont 
to  gather  round  the  tables  and  benches,  while  a  band 
plays  from  a  covered  platform.  But  the  large  hall  on  the 
ground  floor  of  the  house  is  generally  used  for  dancing, 
while  the  lower  side-wings  are  opened  for  spectators  and 
for  couples  that  are  resting  from  the  waltz. 

It  was  eleven  o'clock  at  night.  A  thunderstorm,  that 
had  gathered  toward  evening,  had  prevented  the  adver- 
tised garden-concert  from  taking  place.  When  the  storm 
had  scattered  again  after  a  few  harmless  thunderclaps,  the 
seats  filled  up  very  slowly  ;  and  the  beer-drawer  at  the 
open  booth  among  the  trees  had  plenty  of  time  to  doze 
between  the  stray  mugs  that  were  handed  in  to  him  to 
be  filled.  For  this  reason  the  garden  had  been  closed 
earlier  than  usual ;  and  when  it  struck  eleven  the  house 


123  J^    PARADISE. 

lay  as  still  and  deserted  as  though  there  were  not  a  living 
being  within. 

And  yet  the  long  hall  in  the  left  wing,  which  was 
reached  from  the  garden  by  a  few  steps,  was,  if  not  actu- 
ally as  light  as  day,  at  all  events  sufficiently  illuminated 
by  a  dozen  lamps  along  the  wall.  In  the  rear,  where  at 
this  time  scarcely  any  one  passed  through  the  deserted 
street,  the  upper,  semicircular  part  of  the  windows  was 
left  open  for  the  sake  of  ventilation,  while  the  lower  part 
remained  tightly  closed.  Dark  figures  approached  along 
the  street,  singly,  or  in  groups  of  two  or  three  just  as 
they  chanced  to  come  together,  and  entered  the  house 
by  the  back  door.  On  the  side  toward  the  English  Garden 
everything  remained  as  dark  and  lifeless  as  was  ever  an 
old  wall  behind  which  counterfeiters  j^ly  their  trade  in 
dimly-lighted  cellars. 

The  interior  of  the  hall  was,  when  seen  by  daylight,  not 
altogether  unornamented.  The  inspired  hand  of  some 
house-painter  had  covered  the  wall  spaces  between  the 
windows  with  bold  landscape  conceptions  al  fresco,  where 
were  to  be  seen,  amid  fabulous  castles,  cities,  river-gorges, 
and  wooded  ravines,  blue  wanderers  strolling  about  in 
green  hats,  and  horsemen  careering  on  chargers  of  very 
questionable  anatomy,  folloAved  by  dogs  that  belonged 
to  no  known  race.  In  the  dazzling  blue  sky  above  these 
outgrowths  of  a  cheery  decorator's  fantasy,  sometimes 
through  a  tree-top  or  the  slanting  pinnacle  of  a  robber- 
castle,  a  society  of  carpenters'  apprentices,  which  met  here 
once  a  week,  had  driven  large  nails  that  they  might  hang 
up  symmetrically  their  various  diplomas,  decorated  with 
pictures  and  mottoes,  and  dotted  with  little  balls. 

But,  on  the  night  of  which  we  speak,  all  this  splendor 
had  disappeared  behind  a  thick  veil  of  growing  plants. 


IN    PARADISE.  123 

Tall  evergreen  bushes  stood  between  the  windows,  and 
stretched  their  slender  branches  to  the  roof,  so  that  the 
squalid  walls  seemed  transformed  into  a  tropical  garden. 
A  long,  narrow  table,  with  green,  big-bellied  flagons,  oc- 
cupied the  middle  of  the  room,  and  in  a  corner  was  a  cask, 
about  the  polished  tap  of  which  hung  a  wreath  of  roses, 
while  on  a  little  table  near  by  stood  baskets  with  white 
rolls  and  a  few  plates  of  fruit. 

Only  a  few  dozen  chairs  surrounded  the  table,  and 
these  were  not  more  than  half  occupied,  when  Jansen  and 
Felix  entered  the  room.  Through  the  light  haze  of  lamp- 
light and  tobacco-smoke  they  could  discern  the  pale  face 
of  Elfinger  beside  the  battle-painter's  blooming  counte- 
nance ;  the  fez-covered  head  of  Edward  Rossel,  comfort- 
ably reclining  in  an  American  rocking-chair  and  smoking 
a  chibouque  ;  then  one  and  another  of  the  artists  who  had 
occasionally  shown  themselves  in  Jansen's  studio.  Noth- 
ing like  a  servant  was  anywhere  to  be  seen  ;  and  each,  as 
soon  as  he  had  emptied  his  glass,  went  himself  to  the  cask 
and  filled  it.  Some  strolled,  chatting,  along  the  green  hedge 
up  and  down  the  hall ;  others  sat,  absent  and  expectant, 
in  their  places,  as  though  in  a  theatre  before  the  beginning 
of  the  play  ;  and  only  Fat  Rossel,  who  alone  rejoiced  in  a 
comfortable  seat,  seemed  to  blow  clouds  of  smoke  up  to 
the  ceiling  as  if  already  in  a  true  paradisaic  frame  of 
mind. 

As  Felix  approached  him,  there  arose  at  his  side  a  tall, 
thin  figure  in  a  hunting-blouse,  with  high  riding-boots, 
and  a  short  French  pipe  between  his  lips.  Once  before, 
while  v/alking  in  the  street,  Felix  had  caught  a  hasty 
glimpse  of  this  singularly-shaped  face,  with  its  choleric 
complexion  and  its  close-cropped  hair,  its  coal-black  im- 
perial, and  a  broad  scar  across  the  right  temple  ;  its  owner 


124  IN    PARADISE. 

had  been  mounted  on  a  handsome  English  horse,  which  had 
attracted  his  attention  more  than  the  rider.  This  man 
managed  his  lank  limbs  awkwardly  and  clumsily,  as  if  he 
had  lost  his  natural  balance  the  moment  that  he  ceased 
to  feel  his  horse  between  his  legs.  Besides,  he  had  a  way 
of  either  continually  pulling  at  his  goatee,  or  of  twitching 
the  lobe  of  his  right  ear.  Felix  noticed  that  he  wore  a 
little  gold  ring  in  his  left  ear.  The  right  one  was  dis- 
figured ;  the  earring,  that  had  once  been  worn  there, 
seemed  to  have  been  torn  out  by  force  at  some  time  or 
other. 

"  I  take  the  liberty  of  introducing  myself,"  said  the 
lank  individual,  bowing  to  Felix  with  soldierly  formality. 
"  My  name  is  Aloys  von  Schnetz,  a  first-lieutenant  on  the 
retired  list ;  as  a  friend  of  the  seven  liberal  arts,  I  am 
allowed  the  honor  of  entering  this  Paradise.  Inasmuch 
as  amphibious  creatures  undoubtedly  existed  even  in  the 
garden  of  God,  therefore  a  being  like  myself,  who  occu- 
pies a  middle  place,  at  once  an  aristocrat  and  a  pi'oletarian, 
no  longer  a  soldier,  for  good  reasons,  and  also  not  an  art- 
ist— unfortunately  for  still  better  reasons — may  be  said  not 
to  be  out  of  place  among  good  people,  of  whom  each  has 
some  pretty  definite  aims  and  poAvers.  You,  too,  as  Fat 
Rossel  has  just  confided  to  me,  belong,  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent, to  my  class,  although  I  hope  and  trust  that  you  rep- 
resent a  somewhat  more  edifying  species.  Come,  take  a 
seat  here  by  my  side.  There  are  people  who  declare  that 
I  put  tbem  out  of  humor.  I  am  accused  of  giving  myself 
great  pains  to  see  the  world  as  it  is,  and  to  call  things  by 
their  right  names  ;  sensitive  natures  call  that  cynicism, 
and  find  it  unpleasant.  But  you  shall  see  it  is  not  so 
bad,  and  here  in  Paradise  I  try  to  forget,  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, that  we  pick  sour  apples  from  the  tree  of  knowl- 


IN   PARADISE.  125 

edge.  However,  I  ought,  like  a  true  amphibian,  to  con- 
duct you,  after  so  dry  an  introduction,  into  a  moist 
element." 

He  set  his  long,  Don-Quixote  legs  in  motion  toward 
the  cask,  filled  two  bumpers  and  brought  them  back  to 
FeUx. 

"  We  have  become  converted  to  "wine,"  he  said,  growl- 
ing it  out  in  a  half  ironical,  half  bitter  tone  ;  "  although, 
strictly  speaking,  it  is  an  anachronism,  as  it  is  well  known 
that  wine  was  given  to  mankind  as  a  compensation  for  a 
lost  Paradise.  Beer,  on  the  other  hand,  is  entirely  an 
invention  of  the  darker  middle  ages,  to  make  men  mere 
idle  slaves  to  the  priests,  and  it  has  never  yet  occurred  to 
any  one  to  seek  truth  anywhere  but  in  wine.  So,  then, 
here's  to  your  health,  and  hoping  that  you  may  succeed 
better  than  I  have  in  becoming  one  of  these  primitive 
men  !  " 

Felix  knocked  glasses  with  his  queer  new  friend,  and 
then  proceeded  to  observe  the  unknown  persons  who  had 
in  the  mean  while  strolled  in.  Schnetz  gave  him  their 
names.  Most  of  them  had  passed  their  first  youth.  Only 
one  boyish  face,  of  a  foreign  cast,  gazed  dreamily  with 
big,  black  eyes  into  the  cloud  of  smoke  that  circled  up 
from  his  cigarette.  It  was,  Schnetz  told  his  neighbor, 
that  of  a  young  Greek  painter,  twenty -two  years  old,  who 
was,  in  spite  of  his  delicate,  almost  girl-like  appearance, 
a  dangerous  lady-killer.  He  was  not  really  intimately 
acquainted  with  any  of  them,  and  only  Rossel's  interces- 
sion in  his  favor  and  his  talent,  which  was  by  no  means 
slight,  had  procured  him  the  entrance  into  this  circle. 

A  little,  bent  old  man,  with  delicate  features  and  snow- 
white  hair,  was  the  last  to  enter.  He  hung  his  hat  and 
cloak  on  a  nail,  and  took  his  seat  in  the  only  unoccupied 


126  IN    PARADISE. 

chair  at  the  upper  end  of  the  table  near  Jansen,  who  gave 
him  a  kindly  welcome. 

Felix  was  surprised  at  the  presence  of  an  old  man 
amid  this  rising  generation.  To  be  sure,  Schnetz,  too,  was 
no  longer  a  youth — he  might  well  be  over  forty.  But  in 
every  muscle  of  his  sinewy  figure  throbbed  a  suppressed 
energy,  while  it  was  evident  that  the  quiet,  white-haired 
old  man,  who  sat  at  the  iipper  end  of  the  table,  had  long 
since  left  behind  him  the  storms  and  struggles  of  life. 

"  I  see  that  you  are  puzzling  your  head  about  our 
*  creator,' "  said  Schnetz,  twisting  his  goatee.  "  For  that 
matter  I  don't  know  much  more  about  his  intimate  affairs 
than  I  do  about  the  personal  experiences  of  the  real  Deity. 
That  he  is  an  artist,  or  rather  that  he  was  once — of  that 
there  can  be  no  doubt.  Every  word  that  he  utters,  when 
the  conversation  turns  upon  art,  proves  this.  He  undoubt- 
edly belongs,  however,  to  a  geological  stratum  whose 
fauna  has  died  out.  Nor  has  any  one  of  us  ever  seen  one 
of  his  v/orks,  or  known  how  or  where  or  from  what  he 
lives.  His  name  is  Schopf  ;  and  when,  three  years  ago, 
while  our  Paradise  was  slill  in  its  infancy,  he  was  intro- 
duced here  by  Jansen — whom  he  had  visited  in  his  studio, 
and  whose  interest  he  had  speedily  known  how  to  enlist — 
we  permitted  ourselves  the  cheap  joke  of  twisting  Schopf 
into  Schopfer,*  and  at  the  same  time  of  appointing  him 
host  and  chief  steward  of  the  Paradise.  At  that  time  we 
still  reveled  in  buffoonery  of  that  sort,  each  of  us  bcai'ing 
some  kind  of  appropriate  nickname  ;  and  we  continued  to 
keep  this  up  until  at  last  the  cheap  joke  was  run  into  the 
ground.  But  we  had  grown  to  like  and  respect  the  old 
man,  who  showed  himself  such  a  quiet  and  friendly  provi- 

'  Schupfei- — creator — a  pun  somewhat  less  irreverent  to  German  than 
it  would  sound  to  English  ears. 


IN    PARADISE.  127 

dence  that  the  first  man  could  hardly  have  boasted  of  a 
better  one.  He  looks  after  all  our  business  affairs,  takes 
charge  of  the  society's  treasury,  selects  our  wine,  and 
keeps  an  eye  on  the  gardener  who  decorates  our  hall. 
With  all  this  we  see  him  but  once  a  month.  During 
the  intervening  period  he  vanishes.  When  we  hold  our 
masked  ball,  at  which  the  daughters  of  Eve  are  also  al- 
lowed to  appear,  he  makes  himself  useful  until  the  first 
stroke  of  the  fiddle  is  given,  and  then  he  creeps  off  home 
again." 

"  It  is  hardly  probable  that  he  can  be  a  native  here, 
if  he  can  play  the  role  of  a  mysterious  personage  so 
easily." 

"  Don't  you  believe  it.  Here  in  Munich  there  are  a 
large  number  of  such  subterranean  existences,  whose 
strange  ways  and  dodges  escape  attention  —  ay,  even 
common  gossip — for  the  reason  that  here  there  is  no  so- 
ciety, in  the  true  sense  of  the  word.  In  every  other  city 
of  equal,  or  even  of  greater  size,  one  knows  pretty  well 
what  his  dear  fellow-men  are  about ;  at  least  this  is  the 
case  in  regard  to  the  notable  ones  who  rise  above  the 
common  level — one  knows  what  they  have  to  pay  their 
tailor  with,  or  how  much  they  are  owing  him.  But  this 
place  swarms  with  amphibious  beings  of  both  sexes  who, 
when  they  are  no  longer  able  to  keep  above  water,  dive 
down  into  a  more  or  less  tiirbid  element,  where  they  be- 
come invisible.  I  myself  have  already  had  the  honor  of 
introducing  myself  to  you  as  such  a  dual  being  ;  not  that 
the  ground  is  unsteady  under  my  feet — I  quitted  the  ser- 
vice of  my  own  accord  from  personal  motives — but  the 
dryness  up  there  on  the  surface  became  unbearable  for 
me  ;  I  am  one  of  the  malcontents,  of  whom  you  see  so 
many  here,  who  have  slammed  the  door  in  the  face  of  so- 


128  IN   PARADISE. 

called  good  society,  partly  because  it  is  insipid,  partly  be- 
cause it  is  base,  and  who  now,  in  paradisaic  freedom,  are 
trying  to  find  their  world  in  their  f  I'iends.  But  your  glass 
is  still  full !  Come  !  You  must  do  our  Jordan  more 
honor." 

"  A  Jordan  in  Paradise  ?  My  geography  does  not  go 
so  far  as  that,  or  perhaps  new  discoveries  have — " 

Schnetz  had  just  began  to  explain  to  him  that  this 
noble  wine  came  from  the  vineyard  of  Herr  Jordan  at 
Deidesheim,  and  that  for  this  reason  they  had  agreed  to 
transfer  the  river  of  the  promised  land  into  India  on  their 
maps,  when  Elfinger  rose  and  informed  them  that  it  was 
*'  his  turn  "  to-night,  and  that  he  had  prepared  something, 
but  that  first  some  sketches  would  be  exhibited. 

Upon  this  a  number  of  studies  were  passed  around  the 
table,  landscape  sketches,  and  plans  and  designs  of  all 
kinds — among  others  the  drawings  of  a  young  architect 
for  the  building  of  a  special  hall  for  the  Paradise  Club, 
which  excited  great  applause,  and  called  forth  the  most 
amusing  propositions  as  to  the  manner  in  which  funds 
should  be  raised  to  cover  the  cost  of  this  most  timely 
work. 

In  the  mean  while  an  insignificant-looking,  lean  man, 
with  an  awkward  manner,  and  wearing  a  threadbare  coat 
that  was  buttoned  tight  to  conceal  the  absence  of  a  waist- 
coat, had  taken  a  large  gray  sheet  of  paper  from  a  port- 
folio, had  fastened  it  with  tacks  to  the  window-shutter, 
so  that  the  lamps  on  the  wall  threw  a  pretty  strong  light 
upon  it,  and  had  then  stepped  back  in  order  to  invite  an 
inspection  of  his  work.  It  was  a  pen  and  ink  sketch,  full 
of  figures,  the  lights  touched  up  with  white,  but  done 
with  so  complete  a  disregard  of  effect  that  the  composi- 
tion appeared,  at  the  first  glance,  to  be  a  strangely-con- 


IN    PARADISE.  139 

fused  swarm,  in  which  it  was  impossible  to  make  out 
either  the  details  or  the  plan  as  a  whole. 

"  Our  Cornelian,  Philip  Emanuel  Kohle  ! "  growled 
Schnetz.  "  Another  of  those  unlucky  erratic  bowlders  in 
the  midst  of  the  flat  common  of  our  modern  art,  torn  from 
the  summit  of  some  heaven-aspiring  mountain,  and  then 
rolled,  a  strange  intruder,  into  the  fertile  plain  of  medioc- 
rity, where  no  one  knows  what  to  do  with  it.  Let  us  go 
nearer.  These  outlme  fanatics  scorn  to  produce  an  effect 
at  a  distance." 

"  I  have  taken  for  my  subject,"  explained  the  artist, 
"  a  poem  of  Holderlin's — you  undoubtedly  all  know  it — 
Hyperion's  song  of  fate — or,  if  it  has  escaped  your  recol- 
lection— I  have  brought  the  text  with  me." 

Upon  this  he  drew  from  his  pocket  a  very  dog' seared 
little  book  and  read  the  verses,  although  he  knew  them  by 
heart.  As  he  proceeded  his  cheeks  flushed,  his  eyes 
sparkled,  and  his  whole  meagre  figure  appeared  to  grow 
in  height ;  and  when  he  finished  there  was  silence  for  a 
while  in  the  group  that  was  examining  the  drawing. 

The  artist  still  seemed  to  have  an  explanation  to  make, 
but  he  did  not  utter  it  :  as  if,  after  such  words  of  genius, 
any  prosaic  paraphrase  would  be  a  desecration.  And,  in- 
deed, the  singular  composition  now  sufliciently  explained 
itself. 

A  mountain,  whose  base  covered  the  whole  lower 
breadth  of  the  large  sheet,  rose  up  in  jagged  tiers  like  a 
tower,  and  ended  in  a  smooth  plateau,  on  which  were  seen 
reclining,  veiled  in  a  light  cloud,  the  figures  of  gods  as- 
sembled about  a  banquet  table,  while  others,  with  winged 
feet,  either  strolled  about  singly  or  arm-in-arm,  or  amused 
themselves  with  dance  and  song.  All  seemed  a  dreamy, 
floating  whirl  of  forms,  heightened  here  and  there  by 


130  IN    PARADISE. 

abrupt  foreshortenings  of  the  long  limbs  and  by  an- 
gular effects  of  drapery.  Among  these  Olympian  fig- 
ures, but  separated  by  an  impassable  barrier  of  cloud  and 
storm,  could  be  seen  the  races  of  mankind,  in  the  most 
various  and  spirited  groups,  suffering  all  the  woes  of  mor- 
tals. Nearest  the  gods,  and  hallowed  as  it  were  by  their 
proximity,  children  were  playing  and  lovers  were  whis- 
pering ;  but  the  paths  that  branched  off  soon  led  to  scenes 
of  suffering  and  misery,  and  certain  symbolical  figures, 
which  were  scattered  in  among  the  human  forms  at  the 
principal  passes  of  the  mountain,  made  manifest  the  in- 
tention of  the  designer  to  represent  both  the  effects  and 
power  of  vice  and  passion,  -svhile  the  division  into  seven 
stages  pointed  to  the  seven  deadly  sins.  A  solemn,  un- 
bending earnestness,  and  a  certain  loftiness  in  their  sub- 
mission to  this  downfall — 

**  Through  long  years  into  the  uncertain  depths  below" — 

gave  to  this  somewhat  unwieldy  composition  a  great 
depth  of  feeling  which  animated  even  what  was  grotesque, 
and  impressed  upon  the  stronger  parts  the  unmistakable 
stamp  of  a  great  mind. 

The  mere  number  of  the  figures  occupied  the  atten- 
tion for  a  long  time  ;  then  followed  all  sorts  of  criticism, 
which  the  designer  bore  without  contradiction — no  one 
knew  whether  from  defenselcssness  or  secret  obstinacy. 
For  Jansen's  opinion  only  did  he  watch  with  eagerness, 
who,  after  his  usual  fashion,  allowed  the  others  to  talk, 
while  he  merely  pointed  now  and  then  with  an  eloquent 
finger  to  some  defective  spot. 

The  only  one  who  had  remained  quietly  seated,  and 
who  had  looked  at  the  sheet  across  the  table  and  down 


IN    PARADISE.  131 

the  whole  length  of  the  hall,  through  a  little  ivory  opera- 
glass,  was  Edward. 

At  length  Rosenbusch,  whose  high  tenor  had  rung  out 
in  enthusiastic  expressions  of  praise  above  all  the  con- 
fusion of  voices,  turned  to  him. 

"  What ! "  he  cried,  in  a  hearty  tone  of  challenge, 
"will  not  the  blessed  gods  rouse  themselves  this  once 
from  their  reclining-place,  and  cast  a  gracious  look  upon 
this  work  of  a  mortal  ?  " 

"  Pardon  me,  my  dear  Rosebud,"  replied  Fat  Rossel, 
lowering  his  voice  so  that  he  should  not  be  heard  by 
Kohle  ;  "  you  know  I  like  to  have  what  is  beautiful  come 
to  me,  instead  of  having  to  run  painfully  after  it ;  and  the 
ceiling  of  the  Sistine  Chapel  made  the  most  profound  im- 
pression upon  me,  because  a  man  can  only  enjoy  it  thor- 
oughly lying  on  his  back.  Concerning  this  last  heaven- 
towering  monument  of  thought,  that  my  godfather  has 
set  up  " — for  so  he  had  persisted  in  calling  him  ever  since 
he  had  aptly,  though  ironically,  christened  one  of  his  un- 
named, thoughtful  drawings,  and  Kohle  had  accepted  the 
title  in  sober  earnest — "  concerning  this  I  am  not  gymnast 
enough  to  follow  his  motives  up  seven  stories  high  with- 
out growing  giddy.  However,  when  you  have  all  fin- 
ished, I  will  draw  up  a  chair  in  front  of  it  and  go  to 
work  ;  or,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  should  prefer  to  do  it  to- 
morrow alone  with  him." 

"  I  should  be  very  glad,  Rossel,  if  I  might  bring  you 
the  sketch  to-morrow,"  stammered  the  pale  man,  who  had 
probably  overheard  the  scoffing  words,  and  had  blushed 
deeply. 

"  Would  you  really  like  it,  godfather  ?  "  said  Edward, 
with  a  shake  of  the  head.  "  No,  my  good  friend,  if  my 
heresies  have  reached  your  ears  after  all,  let  us  come  to 


132  IN    PARADISE. 

an  honorable  understanding  ;  and  here  in  Paradise,  at  all 
events,  let  us  wear  no  cloaks.  You  know  that  all  paint- 
ings that  represent  thought  make  my  head  ache  ;  that, 
to  my  mind,  a  single  thoughtless  Venus  of  Titian  out- 
weighs a  whole  Olympus  full  of  spiritual  motives,  such 
as  swarm  about  like  ants  over  your  big  pound-cake  of  an 
allegorical  mountain.  Yes,  we  are  old  antipodes,  my  dear 
godfather ;  which  fact,  by-the-way,  does  not  lessen  our 
friendship.  On  the  contrary,  when  I  see  how  you  and 
your  creations  are  losing  flesh  through  pure  intellect,  I 
feel  a  hearty  compassion  mingled  with  my  esteem.  You 
should  try  a  milk-cure,  my  good  godfather,  at  the  full 
breasts  of  our  old  mother  Nature  ;  you  should  follow  the 
flesh  for  a  year  or  so,  instead  of  high  ideas — " 

"  It  is  not  every  tree  that  has  its  bark  full  grown,"  in- 
terposed Kohle,  meekly. 

"  True.  But  a  ti'ce  that  has  no  bark  at  all ! — and,  you 
see,  that's  just  how  your  whole  style  appears  to  me,  you 
mighty  disciple  of  Cornelius  !  We  see  the  complicated 
structure  of  your  thoughts,  we  see  how  the  sap  of  your 
ideas  circulates  through  it;  all  of  which  is  very  remark- 
able and  edifying,  but  anything  rather  than  artistic.  For 
ought  not  true  art  to  work  upon  us  like  a  higher  Nature, 
without  putting  forth  much  ingenuity  and  subtilty,  with- 
out all  that  complication  of  poetical  affinities  and  philo- 
sophical finesse?  No,  it  should  be  simple  and  plain,  but 
purified  by  the  flame  of  genius  from  all  weakness,  all  de- 
fects, and  every  kind  of  wretchedness.  For  instance,  in 
the  contemplation  of  a  beautiful  woman,  lying  there  so 
quietly,  or  of  a  stately  senator,  or  of  an  'Adoration  of 
the  Kings,'  how  much  does  one  think  about  the  ingenuity 
of  the  thing?  Either  it  conveys  no  meaning,  or  an  in- 
comprehensible one,  or  even  an  unprofitable  one.     And 


IN    PARADISE.  133 

yet  it  charms  us,  even  across  the  whole  width  of  the  hall, 
merely  by  its  silhouette,  or  its  wealth  of  color,  or  its  sim- 
ple and  majestic  sensuous  beauty,  such  as  we  seldom  or 
never  find  in  Nature  without  some  vulgar  adjunct.  On 
the  other  hand,  take  a  poem  in  picture  like  the  one  before 
us — I  invariably  find  myself  searching  at  the  foot  of  the 
frame  to  see  whether  the  draughtsman  has  not  added 
some  notes  that  may  serve  to  explain  the  text.  A  printed 
paper  answers  the  whole  purpose  quite  as  well,  something 
entitled  '  The  picture  and  its  description  ; '  and  the  dear 
Philistine  who  talks  about  the  '  arts  of  culture ' — because 
he  thinks  it  is  with  his  own  special  culture  that  they  have 
to  do — is  only  too  happy  if  he  can  imagine  that  he  is 
going  through  some  connected  process  of  thought  while 
he  looks  at  it.  But  -Tsay,  long  live  the  art  that  leaves  no 
room  for  thought !  And,  now,  give  me  something  to 
drink  ! " 

Schnetz  filled  his  glass  for  him,  which  he  drained  at 
one  draught  as  if  he  were  exhausted  by  his  long  oration. 
A  painful  silence  had  ensued  ;  the  depreciatory  tone  in 
which  the  words  had  been  spoken  had  depressed  even 
those  who  were  of  Rossel's  way  of  thinking.  At  length 
a  mild  and  somewhat  husky  voice  was  heard  proceeding 
from  the  upper  end  of  the  table,  and  they  saw  that  old 
Schopf  had  taken  upon  himself  to  defend  the  cause  of  the 
party  attacked. 

"  You  are  undoubtedly  right  in  the  main,  Herr  Ros- 
sel,"  said  he.  "  In  the  great  epochs  of  art — among  the 
Greeks,  and  the  Italians  of  the  cinque-cento — mind  and 
Nature  were  inseparably  united.  But,  unfortunately, 
they  have  quarreled  since  then,  and  it  is  quite  as  rare  to 
find  a  painter  of  the  so-called  fleshly  school  who  knows 
how  to  give  soul  to  his  form  as  it  is  to  find  a  poet  ?mong 


134  /A'    PARADISE. 

draughtsmen  who  succeeds  perfectly  in  incorporating  his 
conceptions.  In  fact  it  is  a  period  of  extremes,  of  special- 
ties, and  of  strife.  But  is  not  strife  the  father  of  things  ? 
Shall  we  not  hope  that  from  this  chaos  a  new  and  beauti- 
ful world  will  crystallize  ?  And,  until  then,  should  we  not 
give  every  one  a  chance  who  fights  with  honest  weapons 
and  open  visor  ?  What  if  there  are  artists  who  have 
more  to  say  than  can  be  shown  ?  Who  cannot  look  upon 
their  inner  life  in  such  a  spirit  of  tranquil  beauty,  but  see 
in  it  a  tragedy  which  must  work  itself  out  in  discords  ? 
And,  indeed,  the  life  of  man,  as  it  is  to-day,  has  passed 
out  of  the  idyllic  stage  ;  on  every  side  we  see  intellect 
leading  the  van,  and  enjoyment  and  pleasure  limping 
after.  An  art  that  shows  no  traces  of  this,  would  that 
still  be  our  art  ?  " 

"  Let  it  be  whatever  it  liked,"  cried  Fat  Rossel,  leisurely 
rising  ;  "  it  would  be  my  art  at  all  events.  But,  naturally, 
that  need  matter  little  to  you.  And  by  the  way — I  have 
not  once  shaken  hands  with  you  this  evening,  my  lord 
and  creator.  I  do  so  now,  and  at  the  same  time  I  thank 
you  for  so  bravely  dragging  my  excellent  godfather  Kohle 
from  out  the  fray.  He  himself  likes  to  keep  his  best 
thoughts  in  his  own  breast,  unless  he  has  a  chance  to 
sketch  them  on  a  sheet  of  paper.  And  here  in  Paradise 
no  one  ought  to  fall  upon  his  fellow-man  in  the  murder- 
ous fashion  that  I  just  did.  Kohle,  I  esteem  you.  You 
are  a  character,  and  have  the  courage  of  your  convictions, 
in  defiance  of  all  the  lusts  of  the  flesh.  I  thank  you,  es- 
pecially, for  that  poem  of  Holdcrlin's,  that  I  confess  I  did 
not  know,  and  that  is  very  fine  ;  how  does  it  go  ?  .  .  .  ." 

He  seated  himself  with  the  greatest  good-nature  by 
the  side  of  his  "  godfather,"  and  began  to  go  thoroughly 
over  the  sketch,  and  to  make  a  number  of  keen  criticisms 


IN    PARADISE.  135 

of  its  details.  In  the  mean  time  the  young  Greek  had 
placed  in  position  a  large  sketch  in  colors,  dashed  off  in 
bold,  strong  lines  ;  and  now  this  took  its  turn  of  criti- 
cism. 

It  had  for  its  subject,  as  the  artist  explained  in  broken 
German,  in  a  soft,  musical  voice,  a  scene  from  Goethe's 
"  Bride  of  Corinth."  The  youth  had  sunk  back  upon  his 
couch,  and  his  ghostly  bride  had  thrown  herself  vampire- 
like upon  him,  "  eagerly  drinking  in  the  flame  of  his  lips," 
while  the  mother,  standing  outside  the  door,  seemed  to 
be  listening  to  the  suppressed  voices,  just  ready  to  burst 
in  and  disturb  the  pair. 

Over  this  work  also  criticism  held  its  breath  for  a  time, 
though  for  a  very  different  reason.  The  whole  picture 
breathed  such  a  stifling  spirit  of  sultry  passion  that  even 
the  members  of  the  Paradise  Club,  who  most  certainly 
were  not  prudish,  seem  to  feel  that  the  bounds  of  what 
was  permissible  had  been  overstepped. 

Once  more  Rosenbusch  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"  There  he  sits  over  yonder  in  the  realm  of  pure  spirit," 
he  cried  to  Fat  Rossel,  who  was  still  studying  Kohle's 
work,  "  while  we  here  are  dealing  with  pure  flesh.  Holla  ! 
You  man  of  the  silhouette  and  the  beautiful  decorative 
form,  come  over  here  and  exorcise  this  demon  ! " 

Edward  nodded  without  looking  round  ;  he  seemed  to 
know  the  work  already,  and  to  have  no  desire  to  express 
himself  concerning  it. 

As  none  of  the  others  uttered  a  single  word,  the  artist 
finally  appealed  directly  to  Jansen,  and  begged  for  his 
judgment. 

"  Hm  ! "  growled  the  sculptor,  "  the  work  is  full  of 
talent.  Only  you  have  christened  it  wrongl}'' — or  have 
forgotten  the  two  veils." 


136  IN    PARADISE. 

"  Chi-istened  it  wrongly  ?  " 

"  In  the  name  of  Goethe  ;  Saint  Priapus  stood  god- 
father to  it," 

"  But — the  two  veils  !  "  stammered  the  youth,  who 
had  cast  down  his  eyes. 

"  Beauty  and  horror.  Only  read  the  poem.  You  will 
see  how  artistically  everything  immodest  in  it  is  veiled  by 
these  two.  And  yet — a  decidedly  talented  work.  It  will 
find  admirers  fast  enough." 

He  turned  away  and  went  quietly  back  to  his  seat. 
At  the  same  instant  the  young  man  tore  the  picture  from 
the  wall,  and,  without  saying  a  word,  held  the  gilt  frame 
in  which  it  was  enclosed  over  the  nearest  lamp. 

Perhaps  he  had  expected  that  some  one  would  seize 
him  by  the  arm  ;  but  no  one  stu-red.  The  flame  seized 
eagerly  upon  the  canvas.  "When  a  part  was  consumed, 
the  young  man  swung  himself  upon  the  A\dndow-sill  and 
hurled  the  burning  picture  through  the  upper  part  of  the 
window,  which  was  open,  into  the  dark  garden  below, 
where  it  fell  hissing  on  the  damp  gravel. 

Upon  springing  down  again  he  was  greeted  with  gen- 
eral applause,  which  he  received  with  a  gloomy  brow  and 
compressed  lips.  His  hasty  act  had  evidently  given  him 
no  inward  relief.  Nor  could  even  Jansen's  kind  greeting 
succeed  immediately  in  banishing  his  sinister  mood.  It 
was  his  innermost  nature  that  he  had  consigned  to  this 
fiery  death. 

Felix,  upon  whom  this  curious  incident  had  made  a 
deep  impression,  was  just  on  the  point  of  going  up  to  the 
youth,  whom  he  saw  standing  apart  from  the  others  and 
enveloping  himself  in  a  dense  cloud  of  tobacco  smoke, 
when  a  clock  in  one  of  the  church  steeples  near  by  an- 


/iV    PARADISE.  137 

nounced,  with  its  twelve  slow  strokes,  that  the  hour  of 
midnight  had  arrived. 

On  the  instant  all  conversation  was  hushed,  the  chairs 
were  drawn  up  in  line  ;  and  it  then  occurred  to  Felix,  for 
the  first  time,  that  Elfinger,  whose  "  turn  "  it  was  this 
evening,  had  left  the  hall  some  little  time  before,  in  com- 
pany with  Rosenbusch. 

The  folding-doors  that  led  into  the  central  hall  flew 
open,  and  disclosed  on  the  threshold,  illuminated  by  lamps 
at  the  sides,  and  standing  on  a  framework  draped  in  red, 
a  puppet-theatre  that  occupied  almost  the  entu'e  width  of 
the  space.  The  table  was  quickly  pushed  to  one  side,  and 
the  chairs  for  the  spectators  were  arranged  in  rows.  After 
everybody  had  taken  his  place,  a  short  prelude  was  played 
upon  a  flute  behind  the  scenes  ;  and  then  the  curtain  in 
front  of  the  little  stage  rose,  and  a  puppet  in  a  di-ess-coat 
and  black  knee-breeches,  carrying  his  hat  in  his  hand — with 
the  air  of  a  director  who  has  an  ofiicial  communication  to 
make,  or  of  a  dramatic  poet  who  has  held  himself  in  readi- 
ness behind  the  wings,  to  respond  in  case  he  should  pos- 
sibly be  called  before  the  footlights — delivered  a  rhymed 
prologue.  In  this  he  greeted  the  associates,  and,  after 
lamenting  in  half -satirical,  half -serious  stanzas,  the  decline 
of  art  and  of  the  love  of  the  beautiful,  introduced  his 
troop  of  players,  of  whom  he  especially  boasted  that  no 
modern  strifes  or  heartburnings  ever  invaded  their  tem- 
ple, or  kejit  them  from  a  pure  and  lofty  devotion  to  the 
Muses.  His  speech  concluded,  the  little  man  made  a  dig- 
nified obeisance,  and  the  curtain  fell,  to  be  again  drawn 
up  after  a  few  moments,  upon  the  little  drama  that  had 
been  prepared  for  the  amusement  of  the  company. 

It  bore  the  title  of  "  The  Wicked  Brothers,"  and  was 
in  reality  but  the  introduction  to  a  longer  play,  designed 


138  JN    PARADISE. 

to  be  produced  upon  some  future  evening.  In  rhyming 
verses  it  set  forth  the  history  of  a  musician,  an  artist,  and 
a  poet — three  brothers  who  had  been  left  at  the  found- 
ling-asylum of  a  little  village,  and  had  grown  up  to  be- 
come the  curse  of  the  region  with  their  pranks  ;  a  very 
demon  of  evil-doing  appearing  to  possess  them,  and  their 
parentage  remaining  an  impenetrable  mystery  to  the  quiet 
village  folk.  To  them,  after  some  of  the  worst  of  their 
misdeeds,  and  just  as  the  villagers  were  about  to  wreak 
their  vengeance  on  them,  appeared  no  less  a  personage 
than  the  devil  himself,  revealing  to  them  that  he  was 
their  father,  and  that  he  had  called  them  into  being  that 
they  might  work  the  ruin  of  the  human  race.  This  said, 
he  summoned  them  away  with  him  to  undertake  their 
mission  in  a  larger  field  than  this  of  their  apprenticeship. 
And  here  the  action  left  them  ;  the  fantastic  little  piece 
closing  at  last  with  a  short  epilogue  by  the  same  puppet 
who  had  introduced  the  play,  his  final  verses  promising 
the  Paradise  associates  that  on  some  other  night  they 
should  enjoy  a  view  of  the  results  of  this  deep  plot  against 
their  kind,  but  hinting,  nevertheless,  that  they  should  see 
how,  in  the  end,  the  true  and  beautiful  should  triumph, 
and  the  fell  scheminjjc  of  the  brothers  and  their  father 
should  be  brought  to  naught. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

The  play  came  to  an  end  amid  great  applause.  The 
quaintness  of  the  composition,  the  easy  flow  of  the  words, 
and  that  mixture  of  gaiety  and  melancholy  which  is  al- 
ways effective,  excited  such  enthusiasm  among  the  spec- 


IN    PARADISE.  139 

tators  that  the  clapping  would  have  no  end,  and  the  little 
puppet  who  recited  the  epilogue  was  obliged  to  come 
forward  again  and  again  to  return  thanks  in  the  name  of 
the  poet. 

Felix,  especially,  found  much  to  admire  in  the  little 
comedy,  that  had  apparently  lost  the  charm  of  novelty 
for  the  others  ;  especially  the  extraordinaiy  life-likeness  of 
the  little  figures,  scarcely  two  spans  high,  which  were 
carved,  painted,  and  dressed  in  the  most  careful  manner, 
each  in  accordance  with  his  character  ;  the  astonishing 
dexterity  with  which  they  moved  upon  the  stage,  and, 
finally,  and  above  all  else,  the  masterly  art  of  the  de- 
livery. 

The  voices  changed  so  rapidly  and  distinctly,  the  key- 
note to  each  role  was  so  happily  struck,  and  in  the  long 
speeches  of  the  devil  the  speaker  developed  so  brilliant 
a  power  that  there  was  probably  not  one  person  among 
the  audience  who  could  repress  a  feeling  of  creeping 
horror,  such  as  one  has  when  ghost  stories  are  told  in 
the  dark. 

When  the  rows  had  broken  up  again,  and  everybody 
was  standing  about  talking  and  laughing  noisily,  Felix 
took  occasion  to  express  to  Schnetz  his  amazement  that  a 
person  of  such  great  rhetorical  talent  should  have  turned 
his  back  forever  upon  his  art,  and  have  settled  down  at 
a  clerk's  desk. 

"  He  will  have  all  or  nothing  ! "  remarked  the  lieu- 
tenant. "  Since  he  lost  one  of  his  eyes,  and  deluded  him- 
self into  the  belief  that  with  a  glass  eye  he  would  not 
be  fit  for  the  stage,  he  is  far  too  proud  to  step  down  from 
the  high  horse  of  the  tragedian  to  the  donkey  of  the  pub- 
lic reader.  Every  one  knows  whether  he  is  acting  to  his 
own  disadvantage  when  he  plays  the  malcontent.     It  is 


140  IN    PARADISE. 

true,  though,  some  one  really  ought  to  prevail  upon  him 
to  become  the  manager  of  a  puppet-theatre.  And  then, 
besides,  it  would  offer  a  good  employment  for  Rosen- 
busch,  who  makes  his  puppets  for  him,  and  lends  him  a 
helping  hand  at  the  exhibition.  Although,  to  be  sure, 
anything  of  that  sort  only  affords  pleasure  to  a  person  of 
his  stamp  so  long  as  it  is  an  art  which  earns  him  no  bread. 
He  has  been  puttering  away  over  this  farce  for  three 
weeks  at  least,  and  letting  everything  else  slide  in  con- 
sequence of  it.  If  it  were  exhibited  for  an  entrance  fee, 
he  would  soon  be  tired  of  it." 

Elfinger  now  entered  again,  and  was  obliged  to  sub- 
mit to  the  applause  showered  upon  him  in  his  proper  per- 
son, and  to  acknowledge  the  toasts  drunk  in  his  honor. 
He  modestly  refused,  however,  to  accept  the  applause, 
since  the  thanks  of  the  audience  belonged  more  properly 
to  the  author,  who  was  not  himself,  but  a  poet  known  to 
them  all,  who  cherished  a  wish  to  be  admitted  to  Para- 
dise. It  was  merely  with  this  end  in  view  that  he  had 
written  the  text  for  the  puppets,  in  the  hope  of  intro- 
ducing himself  in  this  way  to  the  society,  and  of  winning 
their  good  opinion. 

His  admission  was  immediately  agreed  upon  by  accla- 
mation, without  the  usual  formalities.  Kohle  begged  the 
loan  of  the  manuscript,  as  he  wished  to  illustrate  it  in  a 
series  of  sketches.  Rossel  began,  after  his  usual  fashion, 
to  make  criticisms  upon  different  parts,  censuring  espe- 
cially the  imitation  of  Immermann's  "  Merlin."  Elfinger 
defended  the  poem,  and  the  dispute  had  begun  to  run 
in  danger  of  becomin":  heated,  when  the  door  was  thrown 
open  and  Rosenbusch  rushed  in  in  a  state  of  great  ex- 
citement. 

"  Treachery  !  "  he  cried  ;  "  black,  villainous  treachery  ! 


IN    PARADISE.  141 

Hell  sends  forth  its  spies  to  ferret  out  the  secrets  of  Par- 
adise !  The  veil  of  night  is  no  longer  sacred  ;  profane 
curiosity  is  plucking  at  the  curtain  of  our  mysteries — and, 
by-the-way,  give  me  something  to  drink  ! " 

All  pressed  around  the  breathless  speaker,  who  had 
thrown  himself  into  a  chair,  refusing,  however,  in  spite 
of  the  confusion  of  questions  and  suggestions  that  went 
on  about  him,  to  give  any  explanation  whatever  until  he 
had  moistened  his  thii'sty  throat.  Not  until  he  had  done 
this  to  the  most  liberal  extent  did  he  begin  to  relate  his 
adventure. 

After  his  assistance  behind  the  scenes  was  no  longer 
needed,  he  had  swung  himself  out  of  one  of  the  windows 
of  the  central  hall  into  the  cool  garden,  in  order  to  refresh 
himself  a  little  in  the  night  air.  So  he  strolled  comfort- 
ably up  and  down  under  the  trees,  studying  the  clouds 
and  occasionally  playing  a  few  snatches  on  his  flute,  until 
he  at  last  exijerienced  a  most  remarkable  thirst.  As  he 
was  slowly  walking  around  the  house,  with  the  intention 
of  rejoining  the  company  by  way  of  the  back-door,  he 
suddenly  beheld  two  suspicious-looking  figures,  women, 
in  long  dark  cloaks  and  with  hoods  or  veils  over  their 
heads,  who  stood  at  one  of  the  windows  intently  peer- 
ing in  through  a  crack  in  the  shutters.  He  tried  to  sur- 
prise them,  and  catch  them  in  fiagrante  delicto.  But, 
stealthily  as  he  crept  upon  them,  the  crunching  of  the 
gravel  had  betrayed  him.  They  both  immediately  rushed 
away  from  the  window  and  fled  in  the  du-ection  of  the 
gate,  he  after  them  like  lightning,  all  the  more  eagerly 
because  he  saw  a  carriage  waiting  outside  in  the  street. 
And  sure  enough,  he  succeeded  in  catching  one  of  them 
by  the  sleeve,  just  as  she  reached  the  lattice-gate — the 
stouter  one,  who  carried  something  under  her  cloak  which 


142  IN    PARADISE. 

hindered  her  in  running.  The  prisoner  besought  him,  in 
a  frightened  but  evidently  disguised  voice,  to  let  her  go 
— she  had  done  no  harm,  a  mere  chance,  and  other  ex- 
cuses of  a  like  sort.  He,  on  his  part,  excited  by  anger 
and  indignation,  and  not  a  little  by  curiosity,  would  not 
let  go,  but  insisted  upon  learning  their  names  ;  the  cloak, 
that  he  held  firmly,  had  already  begun  to  rip  in  a  sus- 
picious way,  as  if  it  were  on  the  point  of  tearing  and 
remaining  alone  in  his  hands,  like  the  affair  of  Joseph 
reversed,  when  the  other  Avoman,  who  had  in  the  mean 
while  reached  the  carriage,  turned  round  again  and  said, 
in  a  deep  voice  : 

"  Don't  be  afraid,  my  dear,  the  gentleman  is  much  too 
chivalrous  to  make  an  attack  on  two  unprotected  ladies. 
Ve7iez,  ma  cMre  !  " 

"  These  words,"  he  continued,  springing  up,  "  made — 
I  confess  it  to  my  shame — so  strong  an  impression  upon 
me  that  I,  ass  that  I  was,  let  go  of  the  cloak  and  the 
woman  for  the  j)urpose  of  taking  off  my  hat  and  making 
a  very  polite  bow  to  the  second  of  the  wretches.  They 
were  both,  however,  too  much  frightened  to  laugh  at  my 
devilish  absurdity,  and  spoke  not  another  word,  but  slipped 
av/ay  from  me  into  the  carriage,  and  drove  off  the  devil 
knows  where." 

"  And  I  stood  there  and  could  have  knocked  my  brains 
out ;  for  it  occurred  to  me  in  a  second  what  a  wonderful 
figure  I  must  have  cut  in  the  affair.  But  the  best  is  still 
to  come.  What  did  the  woman  have  under  her  cloak  ? 
In  struggling  with  her  I  had  several  times  struck  against 
it,  and  noticed  that  it  must  be  something  four-cornered, 
something  like  a  picture-frame.  And  suddenly,  as  I  was 
very  sulkily  sneaking  back  again  toward  the  house,  it  oc- 
curred to  me,  '  what  if  it  were  the  Bride  of  Corinth  1 


IN    PARADISE.  143 

Now,  sui"»i30sing  I  go  and  see  what  really  became  of  it.' 
I  knew  perfectly  well  out  of  which  window  Stephanopulos 
had  sent  it  flying.  So  I  searched  and  searched — but, 
grope  about  as  I  would,  no  trace  of  it  could  be  discovered, 
and  inasmuch  as  the  ground  all  around  the  place  is  still 
full  of  little  puddles,  and  the  flame  must  undoubtedly 
have  been  immediately  extinguished,  you  may  bet  ten  to 
one  that  these  spying  night-rovers  saw  it  burning — ^per- 
haps indeed  were  first  led  by  it  to  slink  into  the  garden  ; 
and  that  now  they  have  borne  away  their  booty  to  a  place 
of  safety." 

A  great  tumult  followed  upon  this  communication. 
Some  of  the  youngest,  excited  by  wine,  wanted  to  rush 
out  on  the  track  of  the  flying  women,  in  order  that  they 
might  recover  the  stolen  property.  The  wildest  proposals 
were  heard  as  to  how  they  should  take  revenge  for  this 
outrage,  and  how  they  should  prevent  such  a  desecration 
of  their  mystic  rites  in  the  future.  All  these  noisy  ones 
were  silenced  when  Jansen  suddenly  took  up  the  mat- 
ter, and  admonished  them  to  listen  to  reason.  "What 
was  done  here  had  no  cause  to  shun  the  light.  The  only 
one  who  was  personally  affected  by  the  matter  was  Stepha- 
nopulos. Since  he  did  not  appear  to  be  much  troubled, 
the  others  might  rest  content. 

So  said,  so  done  ;  and  the  festive  feeling  once  more 
burst  forth  in  all  its  glory.  The  wine  loosened  even  the 
heaviest  tongues  ;  every  one  sought  out  the  neighbor  he 
liked  best ;  and  even  the  young  Greek  thawed  out  so  thor- 
oughly from  his  ill-humor  that  he  condescended  to  sing 
some  of  the  popular  airs  of  his  native  land,  which  earned 
him  great  applause.  In  the  mean  while  Philip  Emanuel 
Kohle  went  up  and  down  the  hall,  like  one  of  the  gracious 
genii,  with  head  high  in  aii'  and  beaming  look,  bearing 


144  I^    PARADISE. 

his  goblet  in  his  hand,  and  drinking  toasts  with  every- 
body— to  the  ideal — to  resignation  and  the  gods  of  Greece 
— and  declaiming,  in  the  intervals,  verses  of  Ilolderlin. 

Schnetz  also  seemed  to  be  in  admirable  spirits.  He 
had  seated  himself  astride  of  the  little  cask  in  the  comer, 
had  a  few  sprigs  of  wild-grape  vine  above  his  close- 
cropped  head,  and  was  delivering  an  oration  that  no  one 
heard. 

When  it  struck  three  o'clock,  Elfinger  was  dancing  a 
fandango  with  the  architect  who  had  recently  returned 
from  Spain,  Rosenbusch  playing  an  accompaniment  on 
the  flute  ;  and  Fat  Rossel  had  placed  three  emjaty  glasses 
before  him,  on  which  he  beat  time  with  a  lead  pencil. 
Felix,  who  had  also  learned  the  dance  in  Mexico,  re- 
lieved Elfinger  after  a  time,  and  gradually  the  excitement 
seized  upon  the  others.  Jansen  alone  remained  quiet,  but 
his  eyes  sparkled  joyously.  He  had  erected  a  sort  of 
throne  for  old  Schopf  upon  the  table,  and  had  placed  a 
number  of  green  plants  around  it.  And  there  the  white- 
haired  old  man  sat,  above  all  the  noise,  until  the  wine 
warmed  him  too,  and  he  rose,  and  with  charming  dignity 
gave  vent  to  all  sorts  of  odd  sayings  and  wise  saws. 

At  four  o'clock  the  wine  in  the  cask  ran  dry.  Schnetz 
announced  this  sorrowful  discovery  to  the  dancers,  singers, 
and  speakers,  with  a  funereal  mien  and  pathetic  earnestness, 
and  summoned  them  to  pay  the  last  honors  to  the  de- 
ceased. A  solemn  procession  was  formed  ;  each  person 
bore  a  candle,  a  blazing  piece  of  kindling  wood  or  any- 
thing that  would  pass  for  a  torch  ;  and,  standing  in  a  semi- 
circle about  the  cask,  they  sang  a  requiem,  at  the  close  of 
which  all  the  lights  were  suddenly  extinguished. 

And  now  the  pale  light  of  dawn  penetrated  through 
the  windows,  and  Jansen  announced  that  the  time  had 


IN    PARADISE.  145 

come  for  the  dissolving  of  the  meeting,  which  took  place 
according  to  unvarying  usage — all  leaving  at  the  same 
time.  The  abundant  wine  had  robbed  none  of  them  of 
their  senses,  though  a  few  were  not  perfectly  firm  on  their 
legs.  As  they  passed  out,  a  fresh  morning  breeze  was  just 
springing  up  on  the  still  meadows  of  the  English  Garden. 
The  trees  shivered  in  the  falling  dcAV.  Arm-in-arm  the 
friends  sauntered  along  in  the  gray  morning  air,  that 
cooled  their  feverish  foreheads,  humming  to  themselves 
snatches  of  song  and  fragments  of  the  fandango  ;  and 
last  of  all  came  Jansen  and  Felix,  arm-in-arm,  now  and 
then  pressing  closer  to  one  another,  both  lost  in  thought 
that  found  no  words. 


CHAPTER    V. 

Angelica  threw  down  her  brush.  "  It  is  strange," 
she  said,  "  that  everything  I  do  to-day  is  so  absurd.  At 
all  events  the  proverb  is  false  to  the  core  ;  the  beginning 
is  always  easy,  and  only  the  completion  has  its  wretched 
trials.  And  then,  besides,  when  no  one  else  is  working  in 
the  whole  house,  one  appears  to  ono's  self  to  be  perfectly 
crazy  with  diligence.  Naturally,  the  saint-factory  down- 
stairs stands  still  oa  Sunday.  But  then  the  others  too  ! 
In  Rosenbusch's  room  the  mice  are  squealing  from  pure 
hunger  or  emiui ;  and  I  have  not  heard  Jansen's  door 
squeak  once  this  morning.  It  is  natural  that  they  should 
be  lazy  or  have  a  headache  after  their  night's  revel  ;  and 
they  will  certainly  miss  the  Sunday  mass  in  the  Pina- 
kothek.     Yesterday  they  were  in  Paradise." 

"  Paradise  ?  " 

"  That  is  the  name  they  give  to  their  secret  society 
10 


146  ^-V    PARADISE. 

that  meets  every  four  weeks.  There  must  be  wild  goings 
on  there  ;  at  least  Rosenbusch,  who,  as  a  general  thing, 
cannot  easily  keep  a  secret  from  me,  assumes  a  face  like 
the  holy  Vehm  if  I  ever  begin  to  speak  about  it.  Oh, 
these  men,  Julie,  these  men  !  This  Maximilian  Rosenbusch 
— I  must  say  that  I  really  think  he  is  by  nature  good  ; 
indeed,  between  ourselves,  my  dearest,  he  would  be  more 
interesting  to  me  if  he  looked  a  little  less  moral,  did  not 
play  on  the  flute,  and  were  really  the  terrible  scapegrace 
that  he  sometimes  makes  himself  out.  But  there,  one  in- 
fects the  other,  and  the  very  name  of  '  Paradise  ! '  One 
can  easily  conceive  that  a  pretty  antediluvian  tone  must 
prevail  there,  somewhat  highly  spiced  and  free  and  easy." 

"  Do  they  keep  to  themselves,  or  are  'ladies'  also  pres- 
ent ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  As  a  rule,  they  appear  to  amuse  them- 
selves in  quite  a  moral  manner  ;  but  now  and  then,  espe- 
cially at  carnival  time,  when,  for  that  matter,  every  one 
here  in  Munich  carries  the  freedom  of  the  mask  pretty 
far—" 

"  Does  Jansen  also  belong  to  the  society  ?  " 

"  Of  course,  he  cannot  help  doing  so.  But  he  is  said 
to  be  one  of  the  quietest  among  them,  according  to  Rose- 
enbusch.  Upon  my  life,  I  would  just  like  to  peep  through 
the  keyhole  once  !  '  Oh,  had  I  a  jacket  and  trousers  and 
hat ! ' " 

"Why,  Angelica,  you  have  the  true  woman's-rights 
ideas  ! " 

The  painter  drew  a  deep  sigh. 

"Julie,"  she  said,  with  comical  solemnity,  "that  is 
just  the  misfortune  of  my  life,  that  two  souls  dwell  in 
this  breast — a  timid,  old-maidish,  conservative  girl's  soul 
by  the  side  of  a  very  bold,  dare-devil,  Bohemian  artist's 


IN    PARADISE.  147 

temperament.  Tell  me,  did  you  never  in  your  life  ex- 
perience a  strong  desire  to  cut  loose  for  once  from  pro- 
priety— to  do  something  thoroughly  reckless,  improper, 
unpermissible  ?  Of  course  I  mean  when  one  was  entirely 
among  boon  companions,  and  no  one  could  reprove  the 
other,  because  all  were  possessed  of  the  same  demon. 
The  men  fare  well  in  this  respect.  When  they  steal  back 
again  into  the  lost  Paradise,  they  call  it  a  sign  of  genius. 
An  unfortunate  woman,  though  she  were  ten  times  an 
artist,  and  as  such  perpetually  inclined  not  to  be  a  Phi- 
listine, must  never  let  it  be  seen  in  her  manner  of  life 
that  she  can  do  more  than  dam  stockings  ! — It  is  true," 
she  continued,  thoughtfully,  "  as  for  women  in  a  body,  a 
whole  swarm  of  talented  women — no  matter  how  much 
capacity  some  among  them  might  have  for  such  a  thing — 
I  myself  would  decline  such  a  Paradise  with  thanks. 
Now,  why  is  that  ?  Does  it  really  amount  to  this,  that 
we  cannot  exist  by  ourselves  alone  ;  that  we  can  neither 
plan  nor  bring  about  anything  successful  ?  " 

"PcrhajDS  it  merely  arises  from  the  fact  that  true 
friendship,  real  thorough  companionship,  is  so  rare  among 
our  sex,"  answered  Julie,  musingly.  "We  are  just  as 
loath  to  permit  another  to  shine  among  ourselves  as  be- 
fore the  men.  But  something  has  just  occurred  to  me  ; 
might  not  we  take  advantage  of  the  occasion,  and,  as  you 
recently  proposed,  take  a  look  at  Jansen's  studio  ?  " 

"  And  why  not  rather  when  he  is  there  himself  ?  He 
would  undoubtedly  be  very  happy — " 

"  No,  no  !  "  interposed  Julie,  hastily,  "  I  will  not  do 
that.  I  have  invariably  played  such  a  silly  part  in  stu- 
dios— because  it  is  imj)ossible  for  me  to  bring  myself  to 
pay  a  trivial  compliment — that  I  have  sworn  never  again 
to  visit  an  artist  surrounded  by  his  works.     You  know  it 


148  J'^    PARADISE. 

is  my  Cordelia-like  character — whenever  my  heart  is  full 
my  mouth  refuses  to  overflow." 

"  Foolish  woman  !  "  laughed  the  artist,  hastily  wiping 
her  brush  and  preparing  herself  to  go  out.  "  You  of  the 
public  always  imagine  that  we  want  to  hear  eulogies. 
When  you  lose  the  power  of  speech  from  admiration, 
and  make  the  most  foolish  and  enraptured  faces,  I  like 
you  a  thousand  times  better." 

Angelica  called  the  janitor,  who  was  busily  engaged 
in  the  yard  brushing  away  the  moths  from  an  old  piece 
of  Gobelin  tapestry  that  Rosenbusch  had  recently  bought. 
While  he  went  off  to  fetch  the  key  to  the  studio,  she 
whispered  to  her  friend  : 

"  We  will  not  go  first  into  the  saint-factory,  but  pass 
at  once  into  the  holy  of  holies  !  It  is  always  painful  to 
see  how  even  such  an  artist — one  of  the  few  great  ones — 
must  use  his  art  to  gain  bread.  It  is  true,  no  human  be- 
ing can  imagine  Avhy  he  really  has  to  do  it.  He  needs 
almost  nothing  for  himself.  And,  since  he  stands  quite 
alone  in  the  world — to  be  sure,  though,  that  needs  yet  to 
be  proved — his  saints  must  bring  him  in  a  great  deal  of 
money.  What  he  does  wdtli  it,  whether  he  buries  it  as 
the  wages  of  sin,  walls  it  up,  or  speculates  with  it  on  the 
Bourse —  But  here  comes  our  old  factotum  with  the  key. 
Thank  you,  Fridolin.  Here  is  something  for  your  trou- 
ble. Drink  a  measure  to  the  health  of  this  beautiful  lady. 
What,  she  pleases  you  too  ?  To  be  sure  you  have  had 
an  opportunity  to  cultivate  your  taste,  living  as  you  do 
among  artists." 

The  flattered  old  man  grinned,  attempted  to  stammer 
a  compliment,  and  opened  the  studio  door.  Angelica  im- 
mediately ran  up  to  the  "  Dancing  Girl "  and  began  to 
free  her  from  the  damp  cloths  wrapped  about  her. 


1 


IN   PARADISE.  149 

"  Now,  place  yourself  here  !  "  she  cried,  when  the  fig- 
ure was  entirely  exposed.  "  To  be  sure  she  is  divine  seen 
from  any  side,  but  viewed  in  half-profile — taking  in  just 
a  little  of  the  back  and  the  outline  standing  out  so  clearly 
against  the  bright  sky — is  it  not  ravishing?  Does  not 
one  feel  as  if  it  were  just  going  to  spring  from  its  ped- 
estal and  rush  through  the  room,  dragging  one  with  it  in 
its  mad  whirl  ?  I  can  never  look  at  this  work  without  my 
old  love  for  dancing  coming  back  to  me  in  my  old  age, 
and  vibrating  through  every  limb  !  It  is  a  pity  that  I 
am  such  an  ungraceful  person,  otherwise  you  would  have 
to  tuck  up  your  dress  and  dance  a  reel  with  me." 

And  she  did  indeed  make  a  few  very  lively  movements, 
which  were  grotesque  enough. 

*'  I  entreat  you,  Angelica,  be  sensible  !  You  are,  to 
be  sure,  thoroughly  at  home  here.  But  it  takes  away  my 
breath  !     Everything  is  so  strange  to  me — " 

"  Isn't  it  so — one  doesn't  see  anything  of  this  sort  every 
day  ?  How  every  part  lives  and  breathes  !  One  might 
actually  believe  that  the  blooming  young  flesh  must  yield 
when  one  touches  it ;  and,  with  all  that,  so  pure  and  mag- 
nificent and  full  of  style,  that  one  never  thinks  of  the 
model  when  looking  at  it." 

"  Is  it  modeled  after  life  ?  " 

"  Do  you  think  that  this  kind  of  thing  is  imagined  out 
of  thin  air  ?  " 

"And  girls  can  actually  be  found  who  allow  them- 
selves to  be  made  use  of  for — " 

"More  than  enough,  you  darling  innocent.  To  be 
sure — of  a  sort  that  one  of  us  would  not  touch  with 
gloves.  But  Rosenbusch  says  that,  for  all  that,  they  are 
better  than  their  reputation.  He  has  found  very  respect- 
able creatures  among  them — one,  indeed,  who  had  a  regu- 


150  /A'    PARADISE. 

lar  lausband  and  a  number  of  children,  and  who  went  to 
the  studios  as  soberly  as  others  go  to  the  seamstress  or 
the  milliner.  Yes,  yes,  my  dearest,  we  good  children  of 
good  families  have  no  conception  of  all  this.  Look,"  she 
continued,  turning  to  Felix's  modeling-board,  "  there  is 
where  the  young  baron  works.  He  has  copied  the  foot 
of  the  anatomical  model,  and  now,  as  a  reward,  he  is  per- 
mitted to  recruit  himself  over  the  foot  of  an  /F.ginite. 
Not  bad  ! — by  no  means  without  talent !  An  uncom- 
monly handsome  and  agreeable  man,  too,  whom  I  like 
very  much.  But — remember  what  I  tell  you — he  will 
always  remain  a  cavalier,  and  w^ill  never  in  all  his  life 
become  a  true  artist !  " 

She  accented  the  word  "  cavalier,"  in  the  contemptu- 
ous manner  in  which  a  sailor  talks  about  a  landsman. 
Then  she  stepped  up  to  the  large  central  group  of  the 
Adam  and  Eve,  and  began  cautiously  to  undo  the  cov- 
ering. 

"  How  is  this  ? "  said  she,  "  Why  he  has  actually 
fastened  the  group  with  clothes-pins  since  I  last  saw  it,  a 
fortnight  ago.  "Well,  I  think  I  may  be  allowed  to  un- 
fasten it  somewhat,  and,  after  all,  he  will  never  notice  it. 
What  eyes  you  will  make  at  it,  Giulietta  !  E  una  magia, 
as  the  Italians  say.  It  is  much  grander,  more  imposing 
and  unprecedented  than  the  '  Dancing  Girl '  over  there. 
There  !  Xow,  just  let  me  unwind  this  towel  very  care- 
fully indeed — the  head  of  the  Eve  has  only  just  been 
modeled — " 

The  damp  linen  cloth,  tliat  enveloped  the  figure  of  the 
kneeling  woman,  now  slipped  off ;  at  the  same  instant 
Angelica,  who  stood  behind  the  group  and  Avas  carefully 
removing  the  last  folds  from  the  clay  figure,  heard  a  half- 
suppressed  cry  from  the  lips  of  her  friend. 


IN    PARADISE.  151 

"Now,  don't  you  see  that  I  was  right?"  she  cried. 
*'  It  is  beautiful  enough  to  shriek  over.  No  respectable 
person  can  see  such  a  thing  without  uttering  a  few  inar- 
ticulate sounds.  But,  for  Heaven's  sake  !  "  she  cried,  in- 
terrupting herself  and  rushing  to  Julie,  whom  she  saw 
turn  suddenly  pale  and  step  backward,  "  what  is  the  mat- 
ter with  you,  my  own  love  ?  You  are  so  very — speak — 
what  has  so — gracious  Heaven  !  That  !  I  never  would 
have  believed  it  myself  !  Such  a  surprise — such  an  un- 
heard-of piece  of  treachery  and  meanness  !  And,  with  all 
that,  so  extraordinarily  well  carried  out !  Oh,  this  Jan- 
sen  !  So  that  accounts  for  the  pins — that  accounts  for 
his  not  wishing  to  show  the  group  to  any  one  for  the  last 
fortnight  !  " 

Julie  had  retreated  to  the  window  and  stood  there, 
undecided  what  to  do,  her  head  sunk  upon  her  heaving 
breast.  But  the  painter,  in  whom  enthusiasm  had  ban- 
ished all  alarm  about  her  agitated  friend,  stood  with 
folded  hands,  as  if  absorbed  in  worship,  before  the  work 
that  was  so  well  known  to  her,  and  upon  which,  never- 
theless, she  gazed  in  utter  surprise.  For  since  she  saw  it 
last  the  head  of  Eve,  that  was  then  in  the  first  rough 
stage  of  development,  had  assumed  a  firm,  carefully-ex- 
ecuted form,  and  the  face,  sweetly  bowed  forward,  with 
which  she  gazed  at  the  man  just  awakening  from  sleep, 
resembled,  feature  for  feature,  the  beautiful  girl  who 
now,  sinking  down  into  her  chair  in  an  indescribable 
state  of  confusion,  shaine,  and  anger,  looked  up  at  hei* 
own  image. 

And  then  it  would  have  been  most  edifying  for  a  third 
person  to  have  overheard  how  the  painter,  as  soon  as  she 
had  overcome  the  first  shock,  now  strove  to  enter  into  the 
spirit  of  her  friend  and  storm  over  the  robbery  of  her 


15«  IN    PARADISE. 

beauty  ;  now  strove  to  make  it  clear  to  her  that  there  was 
nothing  wrong  or  improper  in  the  whole  matter.  Then, 
when  she  had  run  on  for  a  while  in  the  most  enraptured 
terms  about  this  magnificent  work,  the  majesty  and  the 
charm  of  these  forms,  she  suddenly  became  woman  enough 
again  to  find  the  undeniable  resemblance  of  the  features 
of  this  beautiful  Eve,  in  her  paradisaical  innocence,  a  very 
serious  thing  after  all.  To  be  sure,  she  strove  to  defend 
the  artist ;  no  one  could  helj)  his  inspirations,  and  the 
more  than  life-size  scale  removed  the  work  from  all  realis- 
tic consideration.  But  her  burning  cheeks  told  her  better 
than  anything  else  that  she  was  not  made  to  be  a  good 
devil's-advocate  ;  and  when  she  had  played  her  trump 
card,  always  keeping  her  back  turned  to  the  silent  girl, 
and  had  declared  that  no  one  ought  to  think  herself  too 
good  to  be  so  immortalized — that  this  was  entirely  dif- 
ferent from  the  case  of  the  sister  of  Napoleon,  whom 
Canova  had  portrayed  in  marble,  or  that  of  the  so-called 
"  Venus  "  of  Titian,  whose  lover  was  playing  the  lute  by 
her  side — she  suddenly  turned  to  Julie,  threw  her  arms 
round  her  neck  and  besought  her  with  humble  appeals 
and  caresses  not  to  be  angry  with  her,  that  she  was  as 
innocent  of  this  evil  deed  as  Rosebud's  white  mice  ;  and 
that  if  she  had  a  suspicion  that  this  wicked  Jansen  would 
have  dared  to  do  such  a  thing,  she  would  certainly  never 
have  invited  him  to  her  studio  at  the  last  sitting.  And, 
as  a  proof  of  this,  she  would  at  once  hunt  him  up  and 
firmly  insist — though  what  a  pity  it  would  be  for  the 
w^ondcrful  work's  sake — that  every  trace  of  resemblance, 
even  tlie  most  remote,  in  this  airily-clad  Eve  to  her  deeply 
offended  descendant  should  be  removed. 

"  Do  so — I  shall  rely  upon  it !  "  said  Julie,  suddenly, 
"with  great  eai-nestness,  as  she  rose  in  all  her  dignity  and 


IN    PARADISE.  153 

womanly  majesty.  "That  I  must  never  be  thrown  in 
contact  with  him  again,  that  I  can  never  enter  this  house 
again,  you  will  easily  understand  !  "  And  as  she  said 
this,  turning  toward  the  door,  she  east  a  last  angry  look 
at  her  counterfeit. 

She  understood  it  perfectly,  replied  the  painter,  meek- 
ly. She  would  not  have  it  otherwise  ;  Jansen  had  acted 
altogether  too  inconsiderately,  and  toward  her,  too,  who 
as  an  old  fellow-inmate  of  the  same  house  was,  to  a  cer- 
tain extent,  responsible  for  the  good  behavior  of  the  rest. 
But  of  one  thing  Julie  might  be  sure  :  Jansen  had  not 
been  guilty  of  any  bad  intention,  or  of  one  of  those  pieces 
of  presumption  that  artists  often  indulge  in,  but  merely 
of  thoughtlessness  and  indiscretion,  and  he  would  un- 
doubtedly take  it  very  much  to  heart ;  and  if  she  should 
really  remain  firm  in  the  intention  of  never  seeing  him 
again,  a  punishment  Avhich,  it  is  true,  he  had  richly  de- 
served— 

While  these  speeches  were  being  poured  out,  to  all  of 
which  Julie  listened  with  an  expression  of  face  that  it 
was  not  easy  to  understand,  the  two  friends — for  Julie 
helped,  too,  with  trembling  hands — had  carefully  wrapped 
up  the  group  again,  and  had  added  to  the  pins  from  their 
own  stock.  When  they  went  out  into  the  yard  after  hav- 
ing done  this,  they  earnestly  cautioned  the  janitor  not  to 
open  the  studio  again  for  any  one,  until  Herr  Jansen  him- 
self had  gone  in  again.  Then  they  left  the  house,  not, 
as  on  the  day  before,  walking  familiarly  arm-in-arm,  but 
silent  and  dejected,  and  taking  leave  of  one  another  at 
the  very  first  street-corner. 

Angelica  determined  to  make  an  attempt  to  see  if  she 
could  not  meet  the  offender  in  the  Pinakothek,  in  spite 
of  the  festival  of   the  preceding  day.      Julie,  who  had 


154  IN    PARADISE. 

lowered  her  veil  as  if,  after  this  experience,  she  no  longer 
dared  to  look  any  one  in  the  face,  hastened  by  the  short- 
est way  toward  home,  where  she  could,  in  complete  soli- 
tude, collect  herself  and  compose  her  excited  mind. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

But  scarcely  was  she  alone  when  the  excitement  within 
her,  although  not  at  once  stilled,  lost,  singularly  enough, 
all  that  it  had  had  of  pain  and  bitterness,  and  such  an 
unmistakable  feeling  of  pleasure  and  happiness  filled  her 
soul  that  she  herself,  as  she  was  forced  to  admit,  felt 
frightened  at  it. 

Do  what  she  would,  she  could  no  longer  feel  as  angry 
at  the  secret  insult  that  had  been  offered  to  her  maiden 
dignity  as  she  ought  properly  to  have  felt.  It  seemed 
indeed  as  if,  the  moment  the  witness  of  the  misdeed  was 
removed  from  her  sight,  all  the  bad  aspect  had  disap- 
peared from  the  matter,  which,  after  all,  had  only  become 
wrong  and  unpardonable  when  strange  eyes  had  spied 
into  the  well-guarded  secret  of  a  pure  artist-soul.  Now, 
when  she  thought  about  the  work,  how  it  stood  there  in 
the  deserted  studio,  carefully  wrapped,  with  only  the 
sparrows  flying  about  it,  and  guarded  from  every  betray- 
ing ray  of  light,  what  was  there  so  sinful  in  the  fact  that 
the  head  of  this  beautiful  kneeling  woman  bore  her  own 
features  ? 

This  figure  constantly  floated  before  her,  no  matter 
how  hard  she  might  try  to  turn  her  attention  upon  other 
things.  And  although  in  the  work  of  the  artist  nothing 
was  finished  but  the  head,  her  fancy  saw  the  finished 


IN    PARADISE.  155 

Statue,  and,  for  the  first  time  in  her  life,  she  looked  upon 
her  own  beauty,  in  her  thoughts,  with  other  eyes  than 
her  own,  which  could  find  nothing  new  or  especial  in  it. 
The  cruel  lot  that  had  held  her  apart  from  life  in  her  girlish 
years,  and  the  early  experiences  that  had  given  her  a  con 
temptuous,  if  not  a  hostile  opinion  of  men,  had  kept  her 
mind  isolated  from  all  those  feelings  that  usually  agitate 
a  girl's  soul  in  its  spring-time.  It  had  never  occurred  to 
her  to  look  at  herself,  as  it  were,  through  the  eyes  of  a 
man,  for  she  had  never  known  one  for  whose  sake  she 
would  have  thought  it  worth  while  to  give  herself  so  much 
trouble.  When  she  observed  her  face  in  the  mirror,  and 
could  not  help  finding  it  beautiful,  it  afforded  her  just  as 
little  pleasure  as  if — like  a  female  Robinson  Crusoe  on 
some  island  in  the  ocean — she  had  seen  her  reflection  in 
clear  water,  and  had  known  by  it  that  she  was  queen  of 
the  wilderness.  In  the  next  room  sat  the  poor  mad- 
woman, in  her  arm-chair,  and  nodded  at  the  beautiful 
daughter,  whom  she  was  robbing  of  life,  with  an  idiotic 
smile.  Of  what  avail  was  her  beauty  against  this  inexor- 
able fate  ? 

Sometimes  indeed,  in  the  spring  nights,  between  dream- 
ing and  waking,  or  Avhen  she  read  some  beautiful  moving 
story,  it  seemed  to  her  as  if  the  frost  that  had  settled 
about  her  heart  were  bursting,  as  if  a  secret  longing  for 
something  sweet  and  precious  swelled  her  bosom,  a  trem- 
bling desire  for  some  unknown,  unattainable  happiness. 
But  this  feeling  never  took  the  shape  of  a  being  who  should 
strive  to  gain  her  love,  and  whom  she  might  love  in  return. 
At  such  times  she  dreamed  of  nothing  better  than  to  have 
the  liberty  of  belonging  to  herself,  of  being  freed  from  that 
horrible  duty  which,  to  be  sure,  had  grown  less  hard 
through  custom,  and  which  no  longer  awakened  even  a 


156  I^    PARADISE. 

shudder,  but  wliich  held  her  a  prisoner  daily  and  hourly. 
If  these  chains  only  fell  from  her — would  she  then  be  so 
unwise  as  to  voluntarily  submit  herself  to  a  new  form  of 
restraint  ? 

But  by  this  time  she  had  enjoyed  her  freedom  long 
enough  to  have  been  sometimes  forced  to  admit,  with  a 
quiet  sigh,  that  the  longed-for  happiness  was  not  so  over- 
powering that  it  relieved  the  soul  of  all  other  desires. 
What  she  really  did  want  she  did  not  knoAV.  She  fancied 
that,  if  she  only  had  a  talent  of  some  sort,  it  would  fill 
this  yearning  emptiness  within  her.  Since  she  believed  it 
to  be  too  late  for  her  to  take  up  music  or  drawing,  she  hit 
upon  the  idea  of  writing  down  her  thoughts  and  moods 
in  free  rhythmic  forms  of  her  own  invention.  These  were 
by  no  means  the  usual  imitations  of  well-known  lyric 
poets,  in  the  conventional  and  occasionally  much-abused 
metres  and  stanzas.  What  she  wi'ote  in  her  secret  diary 
bore  about  the  same  relation  to  this  conventional  poetry 
that  the  play  of  the  wind  upon  an  iEolian  hav]?  does  to  a 
sonnet.  But  for  all  that  it  was  an  unspeakable  comfort 
to  hei",  when  she  felt  that  she  was  striking  melodious 
chords  within  her  lonely  soul,  to  listen  to  the  rise  and  fall 
of  this  melody  of  thoughts,  and  to  transcribe  it  as  well  as 
she  was  able.  The  secrecy  with  which  she  pursued  this 
art  lent  it  an  additional  chann  ;  and  many  a  lonely  even- 
ing hour  was  thus  whiled  away,  as  quickly  and  happily  as 
if  it  had  been  spent  in  the  company  of  an  intimate  friend, 
to  whom  she  could  have  poured  out  her  innermost  heart. 

But  now,  Avhen  she  had  reached  lier  home,  and  had 
hurriedly  closed  the  blinds  that  she  might  brood  in  ab- 
solute silence  and  solitude  over  what  had  happened,  she 
felt  a  sudden  shock  pass  through  her  heart  as  she  reflected 
that  during  the  past  week  her  thoughts  had  more  than 


IN    PARADISE.  157 

once  been  busy  with  the  audacious  man  who  had  dared 
this  theft  of  her  beauty — ay,  that  he  had  even  entered 
more  than  once  into  her  secret  poems.  She  had  not  given 
much  more  thought  to  this  than  to  the  other  subjects  she 
had  touched  on  in  her  diary  :  merely  that  she  had  made 
one  more  acquaintance,  and  that  of  a  man  who  could 
scarcely  be  said  to  have  an  everyday  face,  and  to  wliom 
all  the  others  in  his  circle  conceded  the  first  rank  without 
a  moment's  jealousy.  But  was  it  not  a  singular  coinci- 
dence that,  at  the  very  time  when  she  was  attempting  to 
describe  the  impression  that  he  had  made  upon  her, 
he  should  be  engaged  in  moulding  the  image  of  her  own 
features  ? 

She  rose  thoughtfully  to  go  to  her  writing-desk.  She 
was  obliged  to  pass  by  the  glass,  and  she  stood  before  it 
for  a  while  earnestly  contemplating  her  reflection,  with 
the  same  sort  of  curiosity  she  would  have  shown  had  she 
never  seen  herself  before,  but  had  just  had  her  attention 
drawn  to  herself  by  some  third  person.  But,  at  the  mo- 
ment, she  was  not  at  all  pleased  with  her  appearance.  The 
face  of  the  Eve  seemed  to  her  fancy  a  thousand  times 
more  beautiful ;  he  himself  would  be  forced  to  admit  this 
if  he  should  see  her  and  compare  her,  face  to  face,  with 
his  work.  "  Ten  years  ago,"  she  said  to  herself,  with  a 
shake  of  the  head,  "  I  may,  perhaps,  have  looked  like  that. 
Oh,  for  the  beautiful  lost  years  !  " 

For  all  this  she  began  to  arrange  her  hair  in  the  same 
way  that  he  had  arranged  it  in  the  statue,  and  she  found 
this  style  of  coiffure,  in  a  plain  knot,  charmingly  becoming 
to  her.  She  blushed  at  this,  and  turned  away.  And  now 
her  heart  beat  still  louder,  as  she  drew  forth  from  the 
desk  the  book  containing  her  confessions,  and  read  over 
the  last  pages.     *'  I  really  believe  I  was  in  a  fair  way  of 


158  I^    PARADISE. 

falling  in  love  with  him,"  she  said  aloud,  when  she  had 
reached  the  end.  "  And  he — he  looked  upon  me  as  he 
would  upon  any  good  model  that  chanced  to  fall  in  his 
way  ;  studied  my  face,  so  that  he  might  steal  it  from  me, 
and  ruthlessly  insulted  every  womanly  feeling  I  have. 
If  I  had  been  anything  more  to  him,  if  he  had  even  taken 
a  deep  interest  in  me,  he  would  never  have  had  the  heart 
to  make  such  a  display  of  me,  he  would  never  have  sub- 
jected me  to  such  ideas  ! — Oh,  it  is  shameful !  I  will 
never,  never  forgive  him  that !  " 

A  passionate  feeling  of  pain,  like  the  anger  and  indig- 
nation that  had  overwhelmed  her  in  the  first  moment  of 
the  discovery,  once  more  flamed  within  her.  She  threw 
the  book  into  the  drawer  and  hastily  locked  it  up.  Then 
she  paced  up  and  down  through  her  entire  suite  of  rooms, 
and  struggled  to  calm  her  mood  again. 

But  it  was  not  so  easy  as  she  had  expected.  For  the 
first  time  she  failed  to  understand  the  voices  that  were 
speaking  in  her  heart,  nor  could  she  silence  them.  A  feel- 
ing had  come  over  this  mature,  firm  nature,  such  as  sel- 
dom takes  possession  of  any  but  the  young  in  the  time  of 
their  earliest  development  ;  that  oppressing  sense  of  de- 
light that  is  almost  akin  to  pain,  that  threatens  to  burst 
the  heart,  and  that  makes  the  thought  of  dying  and  pass- 
ing quietly  away  so  grateful  as  if  death  were  nothing  but 
a  gentle  sinking  into  some  unfelt  deep  that  is  brimming 
over  with  flowers. 

Her  anger  had  suddenly  passed  away.  She  tried  hard, 
as  soon  as  she  was  conscious  of  this,  to  pictui'e  to  herself 
her  insulter  in  the  most  repulsive  shape.  Not  succeeding 
in  that,  she  made  an  attempt  to  be  angry  with  herself,  to 
reproach  herself  for  her  womanish  weakness,  in  being 
frivolous  enough  to  feel  flattered  by  this  robbery.     But 


IN    PARADISE.  159 

she  succeeded  little  better  than  before  ;  one  thing  only- 
stood  before  her  mind,  that  he  and  she  were  in  the  world 
together,  and  that  they  had  both  thought  of  one  another 
at  the  same  moment. 

The  door  opened  softly  ;  the  old  servant  stepped  in 
and  announced  that  Mr.  Jansen  wished  to  pay  his  respects. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

Of  course  he  had  come  to  apologize.  Angelica  must 
have  urged  the  necessity  of  his  doing  so  very  strongly  in- 
deed :  must  have  depicted  to  him  in  pretty  glowing  colors 
the  anger  of  her  deeply  insulted  friend,  to  judge  from  the 
fact  of  his  knocking  at  her  door  but  two  hours  after.  Her 
first  thought  was  to  refuse  to  see  him.  But  then,  what  if 
he  should  be  disposed  to  treat  the  matter  altogether  too 
lightly  ;  what  if  he  thought  to  appease  her  by  some  jest- 
ing or  even  gallant  apology  ?  Well,  she  would  soon  let 
him  know  with  whom  he  had  to  deal,  and  that  he  could 
not  escape  so  easily.  Had  she  not  been  called  "  the  girl 
without  a  heart,"  and  was  she  not  at  this  moment  without 
friend  or  j)rotector,  f oi'ced  to  rely  entirely  upon  her  native 
dignity,  which  had  just  been  so  audaciously  insulted  ? 

"  If  the  gentleman  would  have  the  goodness — I  should 
be  very  glad  to  see  hiin — very  glad  !  " 

She  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  room  as  he  entered. 
Her  beautiful  face  had  struggled  hard  to  assume  iis  cold- 
est and  haughtiest  expression.  But  with  the  first  look 
that  she  cast  upon  the  visitor,  the  armor  of  ice  that  she 
had  fastened  about  her  bosom  melted  away. 

For,  in  fact,  a  very  different  man  from  the  one  she  had 


160  I^    PARADISE. 

expected  stood  before  her.  Where  was  the  confident 
smile  that  sought  to  make  the  matter  appear  in  the  light 
of  a  jest,  or  even  of  an  act  of  homage  ?  Where  the  con- 
fidence with  which  the  famous  master  reckons  upon  abso- 
lution for  the  sin  of  having  made  an  unknown  beauty  im- 
mortal ? 

It  was  true,  he  did  not  appear  quite  like  a  penitent 
malefactor.  Erect,  and  with  a  scarcely  perceptible  inclina- 
tion of  the  head,  he  saluted  her,  and  his  eyes  did  not  avoid 
hers  ;  on  the  contrary,  they  even  dwelt  upon  her  features 
with  so  gloomy  a  fire  that  she  involuntarily  lowered  her 
eyelids,  and  asked  herself  in  secret  whether  she  was  not 
the  guilty  one  after  all,  since  this  man  appeared  before 
her  so  sad  and  melancholy. 

"  Gnadiges  Fraulein,"  he  said,  "  I  have  given  you 
reason  to  be  very  angry  with  me.  I  merely  come  to  in- 
form you  that  the  cause  of  your  displeasure  is  already  re- 
moved. If  you  were  willing  to  visit  my  atelier  again — 
which,  unfortunately,  I  must  doubt — you  would  see  in 
the  place  where  your  own  features  confronted  you  this 
morning  nothing  but  a  shapeless  mass." 

"  You  have — you  really  ought  to  have — " 

"  I  have  done  at  once  what  I  owed  to  you,  in  order 
that  you  might  not  form  a  wi'ong  opinion  of  me.  Sooner 
or  later  I  should  have  had  to  do  it  in  any  case — even 
though  no  one  had  urged  me  to  it,  I  wish  sincerely  that 
you  would  believe  me  when  I  say  this — though  I  scarcely 
dare  to  hope  so,  since  you  do  not  know  me — and  are  per- 
haps still  too  angry  with  me  not  to — not  to  believe  me 
capable  of  any  piece  of  discourtesy." 

"  I  ? — I  confess — I  have  until  now  thought  neither 
well  nor  ill  of — " 

She  did  not  complete  the  sentence — she  felt  that  she 


IN    PARADISE.  161 

blushed,  as  she  tried  to  assure  him  of  her  complete  indif- 
ference— three  steps  from  the  drawer  where  her  confessions 
were  lying. 

"  I  know  it,"  continued  he  ;  and  his  dark  glance  wan- 
dered over  the  dimly-lighted  room.  "  I  am  so  perfectly 
indifferent  to  you,  that  it  must,  after  all,  be  very  easy  for 
you  to  pardon  something  that  cannot  have  awakened  any 
very  strong  personal  feeling  in  your  mind.  One  who  is 
entirely  unknown  to  us  cannot  insult  us.  When  he  has 
taken  back  again  that  with  which  he  has  wounded  us,  it 
is  as  if  nothing  had  happened.  And  so  I  might  perhaps 
take  my  leave  of  you,  gnadiges  Friiulein,  with  the  renewed 
assurance  of  my  sincere  regret  that  I  have  unconsciously 
offended  you." 

She  made  a  scarcely  perceptible  motion  toward  the 
sofa,  as  if  she  would  invite  him  to  be  seated.  He  was 
much  too  occupied  with  his  own  thoughts  to  pay  any  at- 
tention to  it. 

"Perhaps  it  is  folly,"  continued  he,  after  a  pause — 
"  perhaps  more  than  that — wrong,  if  I  intrude  any  longer, 
and  give  you  an  explanation  for  which  you  have  no  de- 
sire, and  which  will  perhaps  strike  you  disagreeably,  since 
it  turns  upon  something  that  cannot  but  be  a  matter  of  per- 
fect indifference  to  you  :  not  much  more  interesting  than  if 
you  should  hear  there  had  been  a  thunderstorm  at  a  place 
forty  miles  away,  and  that  the  lightning  had  struck  a  tree. 
Still — now  that  I  have  acknowledged  my  wrong  and  have 
done  all  in  my  power  to  make  it  good  again — I  owe  it  to 
myself  not  to  permit  you  to  take  a  worse  view  of  me  than 
I  have  really  deserved.  When,  before  a  court  of  justice, 
one  can  put  forth  the  plea  of  mental  irresponsibility,  it  is 
considered  the  most  important  of  all  mitigating  circum- 
stances. Now  this  is  just  the  case  in  which  I  find  myself 
11 


163  IN    PARADISE. 

placed  in  regard  to  you.  I  can  plead,  as  an  excuse  for  the 
insane  thought  of  giving  your  features  to  my  Eve,  the  fact 
that  since  I  first  saw  you  I  have  actually  been  insane  ;  that 
waking  or  dreaming  no  other  face  floated  before  me  ex- 
cept yours  ;  that  I  have  gone  about  as  if  in  a  fever,  and 
that  I  knew  no  better  way  of  dealing  with  my  hopeless 
passion  than  by  striving,  shut  up  alone  in  my  workshop, 
to  reproduce  your  face — and  wretchedly  enough  did  I 
succeed  !  " 

He  made  a  movement  as  though  he  were  about  to 
leave  her  ;  but  once  again  he  remained  where  he  was,  and 
appeared  to  be  struggling  painfully  for  words. 

"  You  are  silent,  Fraulein,"  he  continued.  "  I  know 
you  think  it  very  strange  that  I  should  endeavor  to  atone 
for  a  great  and  almost  unpardonable  act  of  audacity,  by 
cominitting  a  still  greater  one.  Perhaps  you  will  not  be- 
lieve me,  or  will  consider  me  a  raving  madman  for  be- 
traying to  you,  after  so  short  an  acquaintance,  a  passion 
that  has  carried  me  beyond  all  bounds  of  propriety  and 
decorum.  But  you  would  judge  difllerently,  if  you  knew 
in  what  dreariness  and  isolation  of  heart  I  have  passed  the 
five  years  since  I  came  to  Munich  ;  that  not  an  hour's  hap- 
piness has  been  vouchsafed  to  me  ;  that  no  womanly  being 
capable  of  awakening  a  single  deeper  thought  has  come 
near  me.  It  is  true  I  have  not  thought  it  worth  my  while 
to  seek  for  such  companionship.  I  have  deluded  myself 
with  the  idea  that  I  missed  nothing,  that  my  heart  and 
feelings  did  not  hunger  and  thirst — until  you  suddenly 
crossed  my  path — and  then  this  sudden  vision  of  beauty 
and  grace,  coming  as  it  did  after  long  loneliness,  brought 
about  an  intoxication  that  has  completely  robbed  me  of 
my  senses. 

*'  I  doubt  whether  this  explanation  will  be  clear  to  you. 


IN    PARADISE.  163 

I  know  nothing  more  of  you  than  your  enthusiastic  friend, 
our  good  Angelica,  has  tolcl  us.  Perhaps  you  may  never 
have  had  any  experience  yourself  that  would  lead  you  to 
believe  that  a  passion  which  bursts  so  suddenly  upon 
reasonable  men  could  be  found  anywhere  but  in  a  fairy 
tale.  Enough,  I  thought  I  owed  it  to  myself  to  tell  you 
of  this  fact,  merely  as  a  singular  instance  that  need  trouble 
you  no  farther.  And  now,  permit  me  to  take  my  leave. 
I — I  should  really  have  nothing  more  to  tell  you,  and  as  for 
you — I  find  it  no  more  than  right  that  you  should  prefer 
to  reply  only  by  silence  to  such  singular  and  extraordinary 
disclosures." 

"  No,"  she  cried  suddenly,  as  he  already  had  his  hand 
upon  the  door-knob  ;  "  it  is  not  so  right  as  you  think,  for 
one  to  tell  all  that  he  has  upon  his  heart,  while  the  other 
only  accepts  it  all,  and  gives  no  confidence  in  return.  To 
be  sure,  I  know  very  well — I  must  attribute  much  of  what 
you  have  confided  to  me  to  the  easily-excited  fantasy  of 
an  artist.  Nevertheless,  I  am  not  so  vain  as  not  to  im- 
agine that  in  the  course  of  five  years  you  have  never  en- 
countered a  face  fairer  and  more  blooming  than  this  of 
mine,  that  I  have  now  borne  about  with  me  for  full  thirty- 
one.  And  for  that  reason  I  am  almost  forced  to  believe 
that  there  really  is  a  secret  bond  of  fate  that  quickly 
draws  two  human  beings  together  in  an  altogether  inex- 
plicable way.  For  see — "  she  continued,  covered  with  a 
confusion  that  only  made  her  more  beautiful,  as  she 
opened  the  drawer  of  her  writing-desk  and  drew  forth  her 
diary — "  I,  too,  although  I  perhaps  knew  less  of  you  than 
you  of  me — I,  too,  have  often  had  you  with  me  in  my 
thoughts — and  since  you  have  destroyed  again  the  image 
that  you  took  from  me  without  my  knowledge,  ought  not 
I  also  to  destroy  those  pages  in  which  you  are  spoken  of — " 


164  IN    PARADISE. 

She  made  a  gesture  as  if  she  were  about  to  tear  out  the 
pages.  In  an  instant  he  had  sprung  to  her  side  and  had 
seized  firm  hold  of  her  hand. 

"  Jidie  !  "  he  cried,  as  if  beside  himself  ;  "  is  it  true — 
is  it  possible  ?  Your  thoughts  were  with  me  ? — and  in 
these  pages — I  beseech  you,  let  me  have  but  one  look — 
only  let  me  see  one  line,  so  that  I  shall  not  think  that  you 
have  invented  all  this  in  order  to  give  me  comfort,  and  to 
relieve  me  from  my  shame — " 

"  Shame  !  "  she  whispered.  "  But  cannot  you  see  that 
in  spite  of  my  thirty-one  years  I  am  trembling  like  a  child 
detected  in  some  naughtiness  ?  Must  I  really  read  aloud 
to  you  out  of  this  book  what  you — what  you  might  long 
ago  have  guessed  from  my  silence — if  you  had  not  been 
trembling  so  yourself  ?  " 

The  last  words  died  away  on  her  lips.  The  book 
slipped  from  her  hands  and  fell  on  the  carpet,  where  it 
lay  without  his  bending  to  pick  it  up. 

A  kind  of  stupor  had  come  over  him.  He  seized  both 
her  hands  and  clasped  them  so  tightly  that  it  pained  her  ; 
but  the  pain  did  her  good.  His  face  was  so  near  hers 
that  she  could  see  every  muscle  in  it  quiver  ;  his  eyes 
gleamed  with  a  wild  fire,  like  the  gaze  of  a  somnambulist. 
And  yet  she  had  no  horror  of  him.  She  would  gladly 
have  stood  so  forever,  and  have  felt  her  hands  in  his,  and 
have  encountered  the  power  of  his  fixed  gaze. 

It  Avas  only  when  she  felt  that  her  eyes  were  on  the 
point  of  overflowing,  and  feared  that  he  might  misun- 
derstand it,  that  she  said  softly,  smilingly  shaking  her 
head  :  "  Don't  you  believe  me  even  yet  ?  " 

Then  at  last  he  released  her  hands,  threw  his  arms 
about  her  yielding  figure,  and  pressed  her  wildly  to  his 
breast. 


IN   PARADISE.  165 

A  noise  was  heard  in  the  front  room  ;  the  old  servant 
apparently  wished  to  remind  the  visitor,  by  the  rattling 
of  plates  and  knives  and  forks,  that  dinner-time  was 
something  that  must  be  respected. 

As  if  startled  out  of  a  dream,  Jansen  suddenly  tore 
himself  from  Julie's  arms.  "  Unhappy  wretch  that  I 
am  ! "  cried  he,  hoarsely,  covering  his  face  with  his  hands. 
"  Oh,  God  !  Where  have  I  let  myself  be  carried  ?  " 

"You  have  only  followed  where  our  hearts  had  al- 
ready led  !  "  said  Julie,  with  a  happy  smile,  while  her 
moist  eyes  sought  his.  "  What  is  the  matter  with  you, 
best  and  dearest  friend  ? "  she  continued,  anxiously,  for 
he  was  about  to  seize  his  hat.  "You  are  going — and 
now  ?  What  drives  you  away  from  me  ?  Who — who 
can  part  us  ?  What  have  I  done  that  you  again  turn 
away  from  me  ?  My  best  and  dearest  friend,  I  entreat 
you-" 

He  struggled  hard  to  answer  ;  a  dark  red  flush  over- 
spread his  pale  face.  "  Do  not  ask  me  now,"  he  stam- 
mered ;  "  this  blessed  hour — this  inconceivable  happiness 
— no — it  must — it  cannot  be  ! — Forgive — forget — " 

At  this  moment  the  old  servant  opened  the  door  ;  he 
cast  a  look  at  the  visitor  that  could  hardly  be  interpreted 
as  an  invitation  to  stay  longer.  Jansen  stepped  hastily 
up  to  the  agitated  and  speechless  girl.  "  You  shall  hear 
from  me  soon,  everything.  Forgive — and  may  you  be 
forever  blessed  for  this  hour  !  " 

He  seized  her  hand  and  pressed  it  passionately  to  his 
lips.  Then  he  rushed  from  the  room,  followed  by  the  old 
servant  shaking  his  head,  while  Julie  gazed  after  him,  lost 
in  a  maze  of  conflicting  emotions. 

It  is  true  that  the  moment  she  was  alone  again  the 
happiness  of  knowing  that  her  love  was  returned  over 


166  IN    PARADISE. 

powered  all  feelings  of  doubt  that  had  been  awakened 
within  her.  His  mysterious  behavior,  his  sudden  flight, 
his  strange  awakening  from  the  sweetest  realization  of  a 
hopeless  dream,  ought  that  to  make  her  distrust  him,  when 
it  merely  confirmed  what  he  had  said  of  himself  ;  that  this 
intoxication  had  di'iven  him  out  of  his  senses  ?  And  was 
it  not  best  upon  the  whole  that  this  miracle  which  had 
happened  to  them  both  should  not  be  reduced  all  at  once 
to  an  affair  of  everyday  life,  but  that  they  should  part, 
bearing  away  with  them  in  their  hearts  their  new-found 
treasure  in  all  its  fullness  ?  To-morrow — to-morrow  he 
will  come  again,  and  all  will  be  new  and  Avonderful  once 
more,  as  it  was  to-day  ;  and  is  that  day  lost  which  one 
can  spend  in  thoughts  of  one's  gi'eat  happiness,  or  that 
night  in  which  one  can  dream  of  it  ? 

She  threw  back  her  head,  as  if  in  doing  so  she  would 
shake  from  her  the  last  remaining  doubts.  Then  she 
stepped  to  the  mirror,  and  began  to  rearrange  her  hair 
that  her  violent  friend  had  completely  disordered,  T^^lat 
would  her  old  servant  have  thought  had  he  found  her  in 
this  state  ?  As  she  thought  of  this  she  smiled  mysterious- 
ly at  her  omti  image,  as  if  it  were  a  confidante  who  alone 
knew  of  some  great  happiness  that  had  just  fallen  to  her 
lot.  Little  as  she  ordinarily  cared  to  look  at  her  own  re- 
flection, to-day  she  could  not  tear  herself  away  from  the 
glass  ;  "  So,  to  please  him,  one  must  look  as  I  do,"  she 
said  to  herself. 

"  I  wonder  whether  he  saw  this  Avrinkle  here,  and  that 
deep  line,  and  all  those  traces  that  these  hateful,  anxious 
years  have  left  upon  my  face  ?  But  it  cannot  be  helped 
now  ;  I  have  not  cheated  him,  at  all  events,  and  besides, 
he  has  eyes  of  his  own — and  such  eyes  !  " 

Then  she  sighed  again  and  pressed  her  hand  to  he? 


IN    PARADISE.  167 

heart.  "  Who  would  have  dreamed  it  ? "  she  said,  once 
more  walking  up  and  down  :  "  only  yesterday  and  I  was 
so  calm  here — wearied  and  tired  of  life — and  to-day  ! — 
And  not  a  soul  besides  us  two  knows  anything  of  it  !  An- 
gelica, it  is  true — I  wonder  whether  she  suspects  nothing  ? 
— the  good  soul !  Perhaps  I  ought  to  go  and  confess  to 
her, — But  would  not  that  look  as  if  I  wanted  to  boast  to 
her  of  my  happiness  ?  And  then  I  will  wager  that  she 
herself  is  secretly  in  love  with  him — who  could  live  under 
the  same  roof  with  him  and  resist  it  ? — '  Julie  Jansen ' — 
It  sounds  as  though  it  could  never  have  been  otherwise 
since  the  world  began." 

Suddenly  the  room  felt  so  close  and  oppressive  to  her 
that  she  sent  the  old  servant  to  call  her  a  droschke,  that 
she  might  go  out  into  the  air  for  a  while.  He  was  allowed 
to  take  a  seat  on  the  box,  and  in  this  way  they  drove  at 
a  slow  trot  around  the  English  Garden.  The  beautiful 
weather,  and  the  fact  that  it  was  Sunday,  had  filled  all 
the  avenues  and  paths  with  people  ;  all  the  beer-gardens 
were  gay  with  music  and  thronging  crowds.  Heretofore 
she  had  never  felt  at  home  among  these  multitudes  of 
merry  people,  for  her  solitary  life  with  her  unhappy 
mother  had  made  her  unaccustomed  to  scenes  of  noise 
and  confusion.  But  to-day,  she  would  like  nothing  bet- 
ter than  to  have  joined  the  throng,  feeling  that  she 
really  belonged  there  now  ;  for  had  not  she  too  found  a 
sweetheart,  like  all  these  other  gu-ls  dressed  in  their  Sun- 
day clothes  ?  She  ordered  the  carriage  to  stop  in  front  of 
the  Chinese  tower,  and  sat  there  for  a  long  time,  listening, 
and  really  moved  by  the  music  of  a  band  that  would  on 
any  other  day  have  provoked  a  smile.  The  people  who 
passed  her  wondered  at  the  beautiful,  solitary  Friiulein, 
who  sat,  lost  in  thought,  gazing  up  at  the  tree  tops.    They 


168  IN    PARADISE. 

did  not  know  that  the  color  of  the  sky,  up  there  between 
the  two  tall  silver  poplars,  recalled  certain  eyes  that  were 
ever  present  to  the  lady  in  the  carriage. 

It  was  already  dusk  when  she  reached  home  after  her 
drive.  A  note  was  lying  on  the  table,  that  had  been 
brought  during  her  absence.  She  felt  a  shock  of  alarm 
as  she  took  it  up.  If  it  should  be  from  him — if  he  had 
written,  instead  of  coming  himself  ;  and  yet,  although 
she  had  never  seen  his  handwriting,  it  was  impossible  that 
these  lines  could  be  his  ;  they  were  in  a  woman's  hand. 
With  a  quieter  heart  she  stepped  to  the  window,  and  read 
these  words  : 

"  A  person  unknown  to  you,  whose  name  is  of  no  con- 
sequence, feels  it  her  duty  to  warn  you,  honored  Fraulein, 
against  a  man  whose  attentions  to  you  can  no  longer  be 
a  secret,  since  he  is  regularly  to  be  found  every  evening 
before  your  window,  and  to-day  even  went  so  far  as  to 
pay  you  a  visit.  This  letter  is  to  tell  you  that  this  man 
has  a  wife,  and  a  child  six  years  of  age  ;  a  fact,  however, 
which  he  carefully  conceals  from  all  his  acquaintances. 
Leaving  it  to  you  to  form  your  own  opinion  of  this  con- 
duct, the  writer  signs  herself  respectfully,  N.  N." 

Half  an  hour  after,  the  bell  in  Julie's  room  was  rung 
The  old  servant  found  his  mistress  sitting  at  her  writing 
desk,  with  a  calm  face,  but  with  traces  of  tears  still  on 
her  cheeks,  that  she  had  forgotten  to  wipe  away.  She 
had  just  sealed  a  letter,  which  slie  now  handed  to  the  old 
man. 

"See  that  this  letter  is  delivered  to-day,  Erich,  and 
at  the  studio  ;  I  do  not  know  where  Herr  Janscn  lodges. 
Tell  the  janitor  to  hand  it  to  him  the  lix'st  thing  lo-mor- 


IN    PARADISE.  169 

row  morning.  And  now,  bring  me  something  to  eat. 
We  were  cheated  out  of  our  dinner.  I — I  shall  die  of 
exhaustion  unless  I  eat  something." 

The  anonymous  note  was  inclosed  in  the  letter  to  Jan- 
sen.     Julie  had  added  nothing  but  the  words  : 

"  I  shall  be  at  home  all  day  to-morrow.     Come  and 
give  me  back  my  faith  in  mankind  and  my  own  heart. 
"  Your  '  Julie." 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

On  this  very  afternoon  Felix  had  carried  out  a  reso- 
lution that  he  had  long  had  in  mind,  and  had  sought  out 
the  two  friends,  Elfinger  and  Rosenbusch,  in  their  own 
quarters. 

They  occupied  two  rooms  in  the  third  story  of  a  some- 
what tumble-down  house,  which,  situated  in  one  of  the 
quaint  old  streets  of  the  city,  concealed  its  little  fantas- 
tically-framed windows  under  a  far-projecting  roof,  like 
purblind  eyes  under  bushy  eyebrows. 

Felix  had  often  passed  without  ever  having  persuaded 
himself  to  enter  the  untidy-looking  vestibule,  and  climb 
the  dark  stairs.  To-day,  since  the  dissipation  of  the  pre- 
vious night  and  the  fact  of  its  being  Sunday  condemned 
him  to  idleness,  he  determined  to  fulfill  at  length  the 
duty  he  owed  to  civility.  Moreover,  he  had  begun  the 
day  before  to  take  a  great  interest  in  Elfinger,  and  wished 
very  much  to  have  an  hour's  more  intimate  talk  with 
him. 


170  I^    PARADISE. 

Luckily  he  chanced,  at  his  first  attempt,  to  knock  at 
the  right  door,  although,  on  account  of  the  absolute  dark- 
ness on  the  upper  landing,  it  was  impossible  to  make  out 
the  names  ;  and,  upon  entering,  he  saw  Elfinger  jump  up 
hastily  from  a  chair,  where  he  had  been  sitting  apparently 
entirely  unoccupied. 

As  the  street,  which  was  not  especially  lively  even  on 
*a  weekday,  reposed  to-day  in  the  most  profound  Sunday 
quiet,  Felix  wondered  what  it  could  have  been  that  had 
held  his  attention  there,  especially  when  he  noticed  that 
the  actor,  who  was  generally  so  ready  and  self-possessed, 
showed  evident  signs  of  embarrassment  as  he  hastened 
forward  to  welcome  him,  and,  as  if  to  keep  him  away 
from  the  window,  forced  him  to  take  a  seat  upon  the 
sofa. 

But  he  soon  recovered  his  easy  bearing  again. 

"You  are  looking  at  the  walls,"  said  he,  "and  are 
wondering  that  I  still  preserve  these  mementoes  of  my 
stage  days,  these  pictures  of  great  actors  and  my  pretty 
colleagues  of  the  fair  sex,  and  even  the  obligatory  laurel- 
wreath,  with  its  satin  ribbons,  that  is  never  lacking  in 
any  true  actor's  domicile.  If  my  present  employer  should 
ever  by  chance  condescend  to  visit  his  clerk,  I  should,  it 
is  true,  have  done  far  better  had  I  hung  up  a  bulletin  of 
the  stock  boards  instead  of  the  lithograph  of  Seydelmann 
as  MepliistophihiA.  But,  as  I  am  safe  up  here  from  all 
haute  finance,  I  think  I  may  be  allowed,  without  injury 
to  my  reputation  as  a  sound  accountant,  to  surround  my- 
self with  all  those  relies  that  I  hold  sacred,  even  that  all- 
too-flaming  sword  over  there,  that  drove  me  from  my 
paradise  of  the  footlights." 

He  pointed  to  a  rapier  that  hung  on  the  wall  opposite 
the  sofa,  arranged  with  a  few  pistols  and  fencing-gloves 


IN    PARADISE.  171 

in  the  form  of  a  trophy,  underneath  which  hung  a  picture 
in  water  colors  representing  Elfinger  in  the  costume  of 
Samlet. 

"  Yes,"  he  continued,  with  a  quiet  smile  ;  "  if  the 
point  of  that  sword  had  not  slipped  in  the  hands  of  an 
unskillful  Laertes,  and  entered  the  eye  of  the  unfortunate 
Hamlet,  I  should  hardly  have  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
you  in  my  chambers  just  at  this  particular  moment.  I 
should  probably  have  been  sitting  in  my  dressing-room 
at  the  theatre,  painting  myself  to  fit  the  character  of  an 
Alha  or  a  Richard  III.,  for  this  evening's  performance. 
Whether  the  public  has  lost  much  by  it,  I  can't  say.  At 
all  events,  there  is  no  doubt  that  I  have  gained." 

"  I  am  amazed  that  you  can  speak  so  cold-bloodedly 
of  something  that  any  other  man  would  regard  as  the 
great  misfortune  of  his  life.  After  the  high  opinion  of 
your  talents  that  I  was  led  to  form  by  your  performance 
of  yesterday — " 

"  Do  not  allow  yourself  to  be  deceived  by  a  little  bit 
of  coarse  humor,  my  excellent  friend.  A  man  can  rid 
himself  of  any  other  kind  of  homesickness  sooner  or  later  ; 
but  no  one  who  has  once  felt  himself  at  home  behind  the 
footlights  can  ever  be  free  from  homesickness  for  the 
stage.  I  must  confess  that  I  felt  a  real  pang  of  envy 
when  I  took  my  little  troupe  of  yesterday  out  of  their 
box,  and  rigged  them  out  for  the  play.  Now,  does  not 
that  positively  border  on  insanity?  But  reason  counts 
for  nothing  in  such  a  case.  I  know  that  I,  with  my  aver- 
age talent,  could  never  have  attained  the  highest  point  of 
eminence,  and  that  for  that  reason  I  ought  to  feel  noth- 
ing but  gratitude  toward  my  friend  Laertes  for  pushing 
me  back  into  that  obscurity  whei'e  I  can  plod  comfort- 
ably along  on  the  golden  path  of  mediocrity.     And  yet 


172  IN    PARADISE. 

all  my  philosopliy  oozes  away  the  moment  the  conversa- 
tion turns  upon  the  theatre." 

"  But  should  not  this  be  so  ?  and  since  you  are  justified 
in  thinking  yourself  a  horn  actor,  what  reason  have  you 
for  believing  that  the  highest  distinction  would  have  been 
denied  you  ?  Why  should  not  your  fate  strike  you  as  a 
tragical  one  ?  " 

"  Because  with  all  my  good  qualifications,  especially 
for  declamation,  I  am  not  only  a  born  actor  but  also  a 
bom  German,  which,  I  admit,  sounds  like  a  very  palpable 
paradox.  But  just  consider  our  race  a  moment.  In  spite 
of  some  rare  exceptions,  that  stand  out  almost  like  mira- 
cles and  that  merely  prove  the  rule,  it  may  be  said  to 
possess  scarcely  a  single  qualification  that  would  enable 
it  to  reach  any  decided  greatness  in  the  art !  Ought  not 
the  actor  to  be  able  to  shed  his  own  skin  when  he  slips 
into  that  of  another  ?  And  when  did  a  true  German  ever 
exist  that  could  put  himself  in  another's  place?  When 
was  he  ever  untrue  to  himself  ? — when  did  he  ever  deny 
his  personal  virtues  and  faults  ?  Don't  you  see,  the  very 
thing  that  makes  our  people  so  respectable  stands  in  the 
way  of  our  acting.  We  are  not  a  people  given  to  imper- 
sonation, to  posing,  and  to  representation.  We  are  sub- 
lime in  our  earnestness,  and  silly  in  our  trifling.  We  like 
best  to  sit  still  in  our  private  corner  behind  the  stove,  and 
we  grow  red  and  awkward  if  we  have  to  pass  through  a 
room  where  there  are  ten  unknown  men,  or  even  as  many 
ladies,  watching  us.  Only  the  highest  problems  of  tragic 
poetry  give  us  wings  to  lift  us  over  these  chasms.  When 
we  attempt  to  walk  with  metrical  feet,  which  are  shod 
with  winged  shoes,  we  get  on  very  well.  But  on  our 
own  flat  e very-day  extremities,  we  stumble  so  wretchedly 
that  an  ordinary  Frenchman  or  Italian,  who  can  neither 


IN    PARADISE.  173 

read  nor  write,  appears  like  a  prince  of  the  blood  beside 
us." 

"I  wish  I  were  able  to  deny  all  this,"  said  Felix. 
"  Unfortunately  we  have  no  real  society  ;  and  where  we 
have  the  germs  of  one,  actors  are  as  a  rule  excluded  from 
it.  But  though  that  part  of  your  art  that  has  to  do  with 
the  representation  of  human  beings  and  a  characteristic 
imitation  of  life  suffers  from  this,  the  higher  branches 
still  continue  to  be  om-  domain  ;  and  if  you  compare  the 
art  of  tragedy  among  the  Italians  or  the  French  with  our 
representations  of  Shakespeare  and  Goethe — " 

"  That  is  all  very  true,"  interrupted  the  actor  ;  "  in 
what  is  spiritual  and  belongs  to  an  inner  consciousness, 
we  can  always  bear  comparison  with  our  neighbors.  But 
only  wait  ten  years  longer  and  you  will  see  that  not  a 
soul  here  in  Germany  will  ever  think  of  going  to  see  a 
tragedy,  and  our  classical  theatre  will  be  then  just  such 
another  puppet-show  as  the  Theatre  Fran9ais  is  now. 
Ought  Ave  to  be  surprised  at  this  ?  All  tragedy  is  aristo- 
cratic. Why  should  the  hero  leave  this  world  with  such 
sublimity  and  grandeur  if  it  were  not  that  he  found  it 
too  miserable  for  him  to  feel  comfortable  in  ?  But  he 
who  finds  the  world  a  wretched  place  insults  all  those  to 
whom  it  appears  most  charming,  because,  with  their  low 
desires,  they  are  able  to  take  comfort  in  it.  And  inas- 
much as  the  good  of  the  masses  will  become  more  and 
more  the  watchword,  as  time  goes  on,  therefore  he  who 
towers  above  the  masses  must  not  be  disappointed  if  he 
finds  that  he  cannot  be  of  much  use  either  in  real  life  or 
behind  the  footlights.  Tragical  heroes  are  only  possible 
where  social  differences  exist ;  where  the  ordinary  man 
looks  on  with  a  certain  respect  while  a  Coriolanus  con- 
quers and  falls,  without  thinking  to  himself  :  '  It  served 


174  IN    PARADISE. 

him  riglit.  AVhy  did  he  insult  us  common  folk  ? '  But 
with  our  excellent,  humane,  democratic  way  of  looking 
at  things — " 

"  A  depressing  prospect,  certainly  !  So  the  longer  our 
nation  goes  on  freeing  itself  from  prejudices  and  con- 
forming to  true  ideas  of  humanity,  the  less  hope  will  there 
be  that  we  shall  ever  be  able  to  cut  a  good  figure  on  the 
stage  ?  " 

*'  On  the  contrary,  I  think  then  is  the  time  when  we 
shall  really  first  begin.  Self-respect  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant requisites  even  in  the  acting  of  a  comedy.  When 
we  have  once  taken  our  place  among  the  nations  of  Eu- 
rope, when  we  have  rid  ourselves  of  our  dullness  and 
tactlessness  in  our  dealings  with  the  outside  world,  Avhen 
we  cease  to  be  such  wretched  crawlers  that  we  will  go 
through  any  humiliation  for  our  daily-bread's  sake,  and 
cannot  conduct  ourselves  like  gentlemen,  then  you  will 
see  how  quickly  we  shall  find  the  art  of  acting  infused 
into  our  blood — we  who  have  been  for  so  many  centuries 
mere  zealous  animals.  To  be  sure,  in  regard  to  tragedy 
it  is  a  question  whether  we  shall  ever  succeed,  in  our  bet- 
ter days,  in  attaining  sufficient  earnestness  and  reverence 
to  enable  us  to  keep  in  mind  the  fact  that,  as  old  Goethe 
,  says,  '  awe  is  mankind's  best  quality ' — " 

He  seemed  about  to  talk  still  further  of  his  hopes  and 
fears  ;  and  Felix,  to  whom  many  of  these  ideas  were  new, 
and  to  whom  the  speaker,  with  his  unselfish  warmth,  grew 
more  and  more  attractive  as  he  went  on,  Avould  gladly 
have  listened  half  through  the  night.  But  the  door  was 
noisily  thrown  open,  and  Rosenbusch  made  his  appear- 
ance on  his  friend's  threshold  arrayed  in  a  costume  the 
comicality  of  which  irresistibly  swept  away  all  these  seri- 
ous considerations. 


IN    PARADISE.  175 

He  had  had  his  red  beard  shaved  off,  leaving  only  a 
diminutive  mustache  and  a  pair  of  side  whiskers  ;  his 
flowing  hair  was  elegantly  arranged  ;  he  wore  an  old- 
fashioned  black  coat,  and  a  tall  stove-pipe  hat,  brushed 
smooth  and  shining. 

"  You  may  well  laugh  !  "  cried  he,  knitting  his  brows 
tragically  at  his  friends.  "  If  you  only  knew  how  a  man 
felt  who  was  yesterday  in  Paradise,  and  to-day  is  forced 
to  get  himself  up  in  such  a  toilet  as  this,  as  if  he  were 
going  to  his  execution.  The  executioner's  minion,  who 
cut  my  hair,  has  just  left  me.  Whoever  wishes  to  have 
a  lock  of  hair  of  the  celebrated  battle-painter  Maximilian 
Rosenbusch  will  find  them  lying  about,  like  useless  wool, 
on  the  floor  of  the  adjoining  room.  O  Delila,  for  whom 
I  have  suffered  this  !  O  Nanny,  for  whose  sake  I  cut  my 
noble  hair ! — for  whom  I  dress  myself  in  this  Philistine 
fashion ! " 

He  stopped,  and  now  revealed  to  Felix  that  he  was  on 
the  point-of  taking  the  most  painful  step  of  his  life.  In 
the  opposite  house  lived  the  object  of  his  desire,  the  muse 
of  his  songs,  the  beautiful  daughter  of  a  glovemaker, 
with  whom  he  had  been  madly  in  love  for  the  last  six 
months,  so  that  he  could  positively  hold  out  no  longer. 
He  had  received  quite  enough  tokens  to  show  him  that 
his  love  was  returned  ;  indeed  he  had  an  assurance,  writ- 
ten on  rose-colored  paper  and  exhibiting  one  or  two  or- 
thographical liberties,  that  if  the  parents  did  not  say  no 
their  little  daughter  would  certainly  say  yes.  In  order  to 
have  this  question  decided,  he  had  been  obliged  to  assume 
his  present  masquerading  costume,  notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  the  carnival  was  still  far  off.  For  papa  glove- 
maker  had  no  very  exalted  opinion  of  artists  of  the  ordi- 
nary type. 


176  IN    PARADISE. 

"  Therefore,  my  friends,  drop  a  tear  for  the  departed 
splendors  of  ray  noble  head,  and  pray  for  my  poor  soul, 
that  it  may  soon  be  released  from  this  purgatory  and  ad- 
mitted to  the  joys  of  the  blessed.  And,  by-the-way,  how 
is  it,  Elfinger  ?  Don't  you  want  to  slip  on  your  best  coat 
and  come  with  me?  Then  the  whole  thing  would  be 
finished  at  one  go." 

Felix  saw  that  the  actor  blushed,  and  cast  a  look  of 
displeasure  at  his  loquacious  friend. 

"  Ah  !  to  be  sure  !"  replied  the  latter,  stepping  in 
front  of  the  glass  and  winking  at  Felix  as  he  passed, 
"you  haven't  slept  off  your  headache  from  last  night. 
Hm  !  Another  time,  then.  It  seems  to  me,  do  you  know, 
I  look  devilish  respectable,  and  the  glovemaker's  little 
daughter  will  make  no  end  of  a  good  match  in  catching 
a  person  of  my  tone  and  style.  Look,  there  she  sits  over 
there  at  her  post,  the  little  witch,  and  at  the  other  win- 
dow, completely  absorbed  in  her  work,  is  her  pious  sister. 
Sua  cuique —  "Well,  I  won't  quote  any  further,  Elfinger, 
my  boy  !  But  now,  I  must  wend  my  way  to  the  high 
tribunal.  Will  you  accompany  me,  friend  baron  ?  You 
must  support  me  with  spiritual  comfort,  in  case  I  should 
show  signs  of  weakness  by  the  way.  To  be  s\are,  I  have 
just  been  working  up  my  courage  by  three  beautiful 
strophes  ;  but  a  lyric  of  that  sort,  strongly  diluted  with 
water,  does  not  last  long,  and  a  more  spiritual  elixir  for 
the  heart  cannot  be  prepared  off-hand.  May  Heaven  take 
me  in  its  safe  keeping  !  Amen  !  Well,  Elfinger,  you 
shall  hear  before  long  how  it  turns  out !  " 

Upon  this  he  pressed  his  hat  do^Ti  firmly  on  his  fore- 
head, nodded  to  his  friend  with  a  comical  expression  of 
misery  and  despair,  and  dragged  Felix  with  him  from  the 
room. 


IN    PARADISE.  177 

On  the  stairs  he  suddenly  stood  still  and  said,  iu  a 
suppressed  and  mysterious  voice  : 

"  Our  friend  up-stairs  has  the  same  trouble  worse  than 
I  have.  He  is  smitten  with  the  other  one  ;  but  she  is  a 
little  saint,  as  much  of  a  nun,  thanks  to  her  education 
with  the  English  sisters,  as  my  little  witch  is  a  child  of 
the  world  for  the  same  reason.  Now  just  conceive  of  it, 
the  more  my  little  imp  carries  on — it  will  be  hard  work 
making  a  sensible  housewife  of  her — the  more  zealously 
does  our  good  Fanny  confess  and  do  penance  and  pray, 
and  it  really  looks  as  if  she  were  seriously  intent  upon 
gaining  a  saint's  halo.  The  fact  is  the  girls  never  asso- 
ciate with  sensible  people,  and  for  that  reason  one  of  us 
must  sacrifice  himself  so  that  the  ice  will  at  last  be  broken, 
although  I  confess  it  is  pure  madness  on  my  part  to  think 
of  marrying.  You  have  no  idea,  my  dear  friend,  what 
extraordinary  cobwebs  gather  in  an  old  Munich  burgher- 
house  like  this.  Well,  a  few  fresh  fellows  like  us — I 
imagine  it  would  not  take  us  long  to  bring  new  life  into 
it,  if  we  were  only  once  inside  ! " 

He  sighed,  and  appeared  not  to  be  in  the  most  cour- 
ageous mood,  notwithstanding  his  brave  words.  Felix 
accompanied  him  across  the  street  and  saw  him  enter  the 
narrow,  arched  door  next  to  the  glove  store,  which  was 
closed  on  account  of  its  being  Sunday  —  going  in  with 
an  assumed  air  of  boldness,  as  if  he  were  going  to  a 
dance. 

Then  he  himself  wandered  aimlessly  down  the  street. 

In  what  direction  should  he  turn  his  steps  ?    In  the  whole 

city  there  was  no  one  who  would  be   looking  for  him 

to-day,  and  the  one  to  whom  he  felt  most  drawn  was, 

strangely  enough,  on  Sunday  afternoons  farther  out  of 

his  reach  than  at  any  other  time. 
12 


178  IN    PARADISE. 

He  was  deliberating  whether  he  should  not  hire  a 
horse  again  and  dash  away  across  the  country,  when  com- 
panionship was  unexpectedly  thrown  in  his  way,  of  a  kind 
that  a  man  in  his  frame  of  mind  could  not  but  welcome. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

His  way  led  him  along  the  Dultplatz,  past  the  beer- 
garden  in  which  he  had  sat  with  his  friends  on  his  first 
Sunday  in  Munich.  The  music  was  playing  as  before, 
but  the  people  sat  about  under  the  lanterns,  that  had  just 
been  lighted,  in  rather  a  sleepy  and  listless  way,  for  the 
day  showed  as  yet  no  sign  of  growing  cooler. 

Near  the  fence  that  separated  the  garden  from  the 
street,  a  Dachau  peasant-family  had  taken  possession  of 
one  of  the  tables,  leaving  only  one  end  free.  Their  ex- 
traordinary, ugly  costume  attracted  the  attention  of  Felix 
as  he  went  wandering  by.  But  his  gaze  soon  turned  from 
their  ridiculous  dress  and  fixed  on  a  slim  girlish  figure, 
closely  wrapped  in  a  dark  shawl,  who  sat  at  the  other  end 
of  the  table,  with  a  full  glass  and  an  empty  plate  before 
her,  at  which  she  seemed  to  have  been  staring  for  some 
time,  with  her  head  resting  on  her  hands  and  her  elbows 
planted  on  the  table,  as  if  utterly  regardless  of  what  was 
going  on  about  her.  Nothing  could  be  seen  of  the  face, 
but  a  little,  white,  short  nose  ;  her  straw  hat  and  a  veil 
that  hung  half  down  over  the  little  hands  threw  the  rest 
into  shadow.  But  the  little  nose,  and  the  thick  red  hair, 
carelessly  confined  by  a  net,  left  not  a  moment's  doubt  in 
Felix's  mind  that  this  picture  of  solitary  melancholy  was 
no  other  than  Red  Zenz. 


IN    PARADISE.  179 

As  he  stepped  softly  up  to  her,  touched  her  familiarly 
on  the  shoulder,  and  pronounced  her  name,  she  looked  up 
with  a  frightened  start,  and,  with  eyes  red  from  weeping, 
gazed  into  the  face  of  the  unexpected  comforter,  as  if  she 
took  him  for  a  ghost.  But  the  moment  she  recognized 
him,  she  hastily  wiped  her  eyes  with  the  back  of  her  little 
round  hand,  and  smiled  upon  him  with  undisguised  pleas- 
ure. He  asked  compassionately  what  it  was  that  made  her 
so  heavy-hearted,  and  why  she  sat  here  all  alone  ;  and, 
drawing  up  a  chair,  he  seated  himself  between  one  of  the 
horrible  young  peasant-girls  and  the  melancholy  little 
Bacchante.  Then  she  told  him  what  the  trouble  was. 
"Black  Pepi,"  her  friend,  the  girl  with  whom  she  had 
been  living,  had  suddenly  "  proved  false  "  to  her,  because 
her  (Pepi's)  lover,  a  young  surgeon,  had  declared  red  to 
be  the  most  beautiful  color.  He  afterward  apologized  for 
it  by  saying  that,  of  course,  with  his  profession,  it  was 
only  natural  that  he  should  prefer  the  color  of  the  blood 
to  any  other.  But  it  had  for  some  time  past  appeared  to 
Pepi  that  her  faithless  lover  paid  rather  more  atten- 
tion to  her  friend  than  was  permissible  in  such  a  case  ; 
and  so,  after  a  very  violent  scene,  she  had  not  only  broken 
off  the  friendship,  but  had  given  her  notice  that  she  could 
no  longer  share  her  quarters  with  her.  Furthermore,  in- 
asmuch as  Zenz  was  still  owing  rent  for  several  months, 
she  had  seized  upon  the  few  things  she  had  to  hold  as 
security,  and  had  then  driven  her  from  the  house  with 
only  the  clothes  she  had  on  at  the  time. 

"  Only  see,"  said  the  girl,  lifting  her  dark  shawl  ; 
"  she  did  not  even  leave  me  a  respectable  dress  :  if  it  had 
not  been  for  the  shawl  that  the  landlady  lent  me,  I  should 
have  been  ashamed  to  go  across  the  street." 

And  it  was  really  so  ;  she  wore  a  simple  sack  of  striped 


180  IN    PARADISE. 

cotton  under  her  black  covering,  that  she  carefully  wrapped 
about  her  again.  But  now  it  began  to  look  as  though  she 
no  longer  troubled  herself  in  the  least  about  the  adventure 
that  had  so  recently  made  her  weep.  The  pale  little  face 
that  she  turned  toward  her  neighbor,  brightly  illuminated 
by  the  lantern,  had  even  lost  its  expression  of  anger  at 
this  insulting  treatment  and  betrayal  of  friendship,  and 
beamed  again  with  light-heartedness  and  irrepressible  en- 
joyment. 

"  And  what  are  you  going  to  do,  Zenz  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  yet.  I  shall  manage  to  find  some  place 
to  stay  at.  I  could  go  to  the  Rochus  garden,  or  the 
Neusigl,  where  I  lodged  when  I  first  came  here  ;  but  the 
waiters  there  have  keys  to  the  doors,  and  I  have  found  that 
it  is  not  safe  there.  And  anywhere  else,  where  I  am  not 
known,  they  might  think  that  I  would  not  be  able  to  pay 
for  the  room,  and  I  really  have  no  money  but  a  few  kreut- 
zers.  I  should  have  to  pawn  the  ring  that  I  have  from 
my  poor  dead  mother.  Well,  the  day  is  not  over  yet,  and 
I  can  think  the  matter  over  again." 

"To  be  sure,"  continued  she,  after  a  pause,  during 
which  Felix  sat,  as  if  in  a  dream,  gazing  at  her  red  lips 
and  her  white  teeth,  that  one  could  have  counted  when 
she  spoke,  "to  be  sure,  I  might  fare  well  enough  if  I  only 
would  !  So  well,  that  that  false  black  cat  Pepi  would 
envy  me." 

"  If  you  only  would,  Zenz  ?  " 

"  Yes,  if  I  were  willing  to  be  wicked  ! "  she  added,  in 
a  low  tone,  and  for  a  moment  her  face  grew  serious.  But 
in  the  next  instant  she  laughed  merrily  again,  as  if  she 
would  laugh  away  the  flush  that  had  suffused  her  face. 

"  Do  you  know  an  artist  named  Rossel  ?  " 

"  Certainly.     Edward  Rossel.     What  of  him  ?  " 


IN    PARADISE.  181 

"  He  came  to  see  me  about  a  week  ago.  He  said  he 
had  seen  the  figure  that  Herr  Jansen  modeled  from  me, 
and  he  said,  if  I  would  come  to  him  and  stand  as  a  model, 
he  would  pay  me  three  times  as  well  for  it." 

"  And  why  haven't  you  gone  to  him  ?  " 

"  Hm  ! — because  I  didn't  like  him.  I  will  not  hire 
myself  out  in  that  way  for  the  gentlemen,  so  that  every 
one  will  know  me  and  say  :  '  Aha  !  that  is  Red  Zenz  ! '  I 
am  sorry  enough  that  I  stood  to  please  Herr  Jansen,  al- 
though he  is  such  a  good  gentleman.  But  now  they  know 
my  address,  and  they  think  that  is  as  much  as  to  say  that 
I  will  go  and  be  a  model  for  any  one  who  wants  me." 

"  Didn't  you  like  Herr  Rossel  ?  " 

"  No.  Not  at  all.  He  doesn't  look  in  the  least  as  if 
he  were  an  artist,  and  wauted  to  study  from  a  model.  He 
made  such  big  eyes — No  !  I  sent  him  off  with  a  flea  in  his 
ear.  And  then  he  went  to  Pepi  to  get  her  to  persuade 
me.  But  she  knows  me.  She  went  to  him  herself,  for 
she  thought  he  would  just  as  soon  have  one  as  another. 
But  he  only  gave  her  a  gulden  and  sent  her  away  again, 
sapng  that  he  had  no  time  just  then,  and  that  he  hap- 
pened to  particularly  want  red  hair.  Then  she  flew  out 
again  about  red.  I  have  heard  though  that  Herr  Rossel 
lives  like  a  prince,  and  Pepi  said  that  if  I  were  not  a  fool 
— at  that  time  she  was  not  so  down  on  me — I  might  make 
my  fortune." 

"  But  are  you  going  to  continue  such  a  fool  all  your 
lifelong,  Zenz?" 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  she,  frankly.  "  Nobody  is  sure 
of  herself  when  she  is  young  and  has  plenty  of  time  on 
her  hands.  But  I  think  as  long  as  I  have  my  five  senses 
about  me — " 

She  hesitated. 


182  /^    PARADISE. 

"  Well,  Zenz  ? "  he  asked,  taking  one  of  her  little 
hands,  with  its  fingers'  ends  roughened  by  work,  in  one  of 
his. 

"  So  long,"  she  said,  quietly,  "  I  will  not  do  such  a 
thing  to  please  anyone  whom  I  do  not  love." 

"  And  how  must  the  man  look  whom  you  could  love  ? 
Only  like  Herr  Jansen  ?  " 

She  laughed.  "  Oh  !  no.  He  is  so  much  older  than  I. 
I  only  like  him  in  just  the  same  way  that  I  might  have 
liked  my  father.  He  must  be  younger  and  very  nice, 
and—" 

She  stopped  abruptly,  looked  askance  at  him,  a  little 
coquettishly,  and  said  :  "  But  what  nonsense  we  are  talk- 
ing !  "Won't  you  eat  and  drink  something,  or  has  the 
scarecrow  next  you  there  taken  away  all  your  appetite  !  " 

She  glanced  disapprovingly  at  his  neighbors,  who 
looked,  with  their  nodding  cap-borders  and  strait-laced 
Sunday  suits,  for  all  the  world  like  stuffed  dolls,  and  did 
not  understand  a  word  of  what  had  been  said  by  the  other 
two. 

"  Zenz,"  said  Felix,  without  answering  her  ;  "  do  you 
know  you  could  stop  over  night  in  my  quarters  just  as 
well  as  not  ?  I  have  two  rooms  :  you  could  bolt  the  door 
between  them  if  you  should  feel  any  fear  of  me,  and  each 
room  has  a  separate  entrance.  What  do  you  think  about 
it?" 

"  You  are  only  joking  !  "  she  hastily  replied,  without 
the  slightest  embarrassment ;  "  you  would  never  think  of 
encumbering  yourself  wdth  such  a  poor,  ugly  thing  as  I 
am." 

"  Ugly  ?  I  don't  find  you  at  all  ugly,  Zenz.  And  if 
you  only  cared  to  be  a  model  for  me,  as  you  do  for  Herr 
Jansen —     Do  you  know,  he  has  kept  me  for  weeks  study- 


IN    PARADISE.  183 

ing  an  old  skeleton  and  a  lay  figure,  and  I  am  forgetting 
over  such  work  the  very  sight  of  a  human  being." 

She  shook  her  head,  laughed,  and  then  said,  becoming 
serious  again  : 

"  That  was  only  meant  in  joke,  of  course.  I  am  not 
so  simple  as  to  let  myself  be  talked  into  believing  that 
you  are  really  a  sculptor  !" 

"  Well,  just  as  you  like,  Zenz.  I  won't  try  to  persuade 
you  to  do  anything  you  don't  like.  Come,  take  some 
beer  ;  a  new  cask  has  just  been  broached," 

She  drank  eagerly  out  of  his  glass  ;  and  then  a  spirited 
overture  was  played  which  interrupted  their  conversation 
for  a  time.  Even  after  this  they  talked  entirely  about 
other  things.  She  told  him  about  her  former  life  in  Salz- 
burg, how  strict  her  mother  had  been  with  her,  how  often 
she  had  kno^ii  want,  and  how  often  of  a  Sunday  she  had 
sat  quietly  in  her  chamber  and  had  wished  she  might  be 
allowed,  just  for  once,  to  join  the  merry,  gayly-di-essed 
throng  outside,  that  she  could  only  look  at  from  a  dis- 
tance. No  doubt  her  mother  had  really  cared  for  her, 
but  for  all  that  she  let  her  feel  that  her  existence  was  an 
eternal  reproach  and  burden  to  her.  Of  course  she  cried 
when  she  lost  her  mother,  but  her  grief  did  not  last  long. 
The  pleasure  of  feeling  herseK  free  soon  di'ied  her  tears. 
Now,  to  be  sure— all  alone  as  she  was,  without  a  soul 
in  all  the  wide  world  to  trouble  itself  whether  she  lived 
or  died — now,  she  sometimes  felt  that  she  would  give 
up  everything  if  she  could  only  be  back  again  at  her 
mother's  side. 

"  That  is  always  the  way,"  concluded  she,  with  a  nod 
of  the  head  that  looked  droll  enough  in  its  seriousness, 
"  one  never  has  what  one  wants  ;  and  still,  people  say  one 
ought  to  be  contented.     Sometimes  I  wish  I  were  dead. 


184  IN    PARADISE. 

And  then  again  I  feel  as  if  I  would  like  to  promenade  up 
and  down  the  live-long  summer  through,  wear  beautiful 
dresses,  live  like  a  princess,  and — " 

"  And  be  made  love  to  by  a  jirince — isn't  it  so  ?  " 

"  Of  course.  Alone,  one  can  have  no  happiness.  What 
would  be  the  use  of  my  princess's  di'esses,  unless  I  could 
drive  some  one  perfectly  crazy  with  them  ?  " 

He  gazed  so  steadfastly  in  her  eyes,  that  she  suddenly 
blushed  and  was  silent.  The  strange  mixture  of  light- 
heartedness  and  melancholy  in  the  poor  child,  of  enjoy- 
ment of  life  and  reserve,  of  secret  love  and  introspective 
moralizing,  attracted  him  more  and  more.  Then,  too,  the 
night,  the  subdued  light  of  the  lanterns,  and  the  stirring 
music,  and  his  own  loneliness  of  heart,  and  his  seven-and- 
twenty  years — 

"  Zenz,"  he  whispered,  bending  over  so  near  to  her 
ear  that  his  lips  almost  touched  her  neck,  "  if  you  would 
only  care  just  a  little  bit  for  me,  why  shouldn't  we  fare 
just  as  well  as  if  you  really  were  a  princess  and  I  a 
prince  ?  " 

She  did  not  answer.  Her  lips  were  parted,  she  breathed 
quickly,  and  her  nostrils  quivered,  while  her  eyes  were 
tightly  shut,  as  if  it  were  all  a  dream  from  which  she  did 
not  wish  to  wake. 

"We  could  lead  a  life  like  that  in  Paradise,"  con- 
tinued he,  gently  stroking  with  his  OAvn  the  two  little 
hands  that  she  had  laid  side  by  side  on  the  table.  "  We 
are  both  of  us  two  stray  children  for  whom  no  one  cares. 
If  we  should  stay  at  home  a  year  and  a  day,  and  never 
let  ourselves  be  seen,  who  would  inquire  what  had  be- 
come of  us?  All  about  us  people  live  and  love  and  think 
only  about  themselves  !  Why  should  not  we  think  only 
of  ourselves,  too  ?  " 


IN    PARADISE.  1S5 

"  Go  away  from  me  ! "  answered  she,  in  a  low  voice. 
"  You  are  not  in  earnest.  You  think  about  me  ?  Not 
even  in  your  dreams.  How  can  you  care  for  me  ?  Such 
a  red-haired  little  monkey,  as  Black  Pepi  called  me  to- 
day ! " 

"Your  hair  is  very  pretty.  I  remember  yet  how 
pretty  it  made  you  look,  when  you  let  it  hang  loose  over 
your  blue  cloak  that  morning  in  Herr  Jansen's  studio, 
when  you  ran  away  so  fast.  And  now  I  will  hold  you 
tight  by  it.  Come  !  I  thought  we  were  going  ?  It  be- 
gins to  be  cool ;  at  least,  I  see  that  you  are  trembling." 

"  Not  from  cold  !  "  she  said,  in  a  strange  tone,  as  she 
stood  up  and  wrapped  her  shawl  tightly  about  her. 

Then,  without  waiting  for  him  to  ask  her,  she  took 
his  arm  and  they  left  the  garden. 


CHAPTER    X. 

She  did  not  ask  where  he  was  leading  her,  and  indeed 
spoke  very  little  more,  and  scarcely  betrayed  by  any  sign 
whether  she  was  listening  to  what  he  said,  or  was  entirely 
absorbed  in  her  own  thoughts.  He  had  begun  by  telling 
her,  with  a  kind  of  forced  liveliness,  about  all  sorts  of 
things  that  he  thought  would  interest  her  ;  about  the 
women  in  the  countries  on  the  other  side  of  the  ocean, 
their  way  of  dressing,  their  songs  and  dances,  and  their 
ideas  about  love  and  men.  As  she  made  no  reply  to  it 
all,  he  at  last  grew  silent  too.  For  a  moment  he  felt  a 
keen  pang  of  pain,  when,  by  the  light  of  a  street  lamp, 
he  caught  sight  of  his  own  shadow  and  that  of  the  girl 


186  I^    PARADISE. 

swaying  before  them  on  the  ground.  How  came  he  to 
constitute  himself  the  knight  of  this  poor  creature,  who 
clung  so  tightly  to  his  arm  that  he  realized  well  enough 
it  would  not  be  easy  to  shake  her  off  again  ? 

Six  weeks  ago,  in  another  city — it  was  a  summer  night, 
too — in  what  a  different  mood  had  he  returned  home  from 
a  walk,  and  in  what  different  company  !  But  that  was 
passed  forever.  Should  he  wander  about  in  the  desert  all 
his  life  long  in  sackcloth  and  ashes,  and  turn  his  back 
upon  all  the  happiness  of  existence  ?  Who  would  be 
benefited  by  his  sacrifice  ?  And  yet,  why  could  he  not 
suppress  this  obstinate  pain,  this  remembrance  of  past 
days  that  sought  to  till  him  with  disgust  at  the  light- 
hearted  life  of  this  "  city  of  pleasure  ?  " 

He  would  not  let  his  life  be  ruined  b)^  a  spectre,  he 
would  carry  his  head  high  and  sneer  away  all  attacks 
of  sentimentality.  Laughing  defiantly,  to  silence  the  low, 
far-off  voice  in  his  heart,  he  released  his  arm  from  the 
girl's,  only  to  put  it  still  tighter  and  more  tenderly  about 
her  shoulder. 

"  Zenz,"  he  said,  "  you  are  a  darling  little  sweetheart. 
It  Avould  be  a  sin  if  you  should  not  knoAV  where  to  lay 
your  head.  Do  you  see  that  house  over  there,  with  the 
lamp  burning  in  front  ?  That  is  where  I  live,  and  no  one 
has  a  key  to  all  the  doors.  How  would  it  be  if  we  should 
play  hide-and-seek  there  for  a  time,  Avith  all  this  tiresome 
world?" 

He  merrily  lifted  her  up  from  the  ground,  as  if  he 
would  carry  her  over  the  street  into  the  house  ;  but  she 
suddenly  released  herself  and  pointed  anxiously  to  two 
riders,  who  were  already  so  close  upon  them  that  they 
were  forced  to  run  to  get  by  them. 

"  You  little  goose  !  "  he  laughed,  "  surely  you  are  not 


IN    PARADISE.  187 

afraid  of  two  people  on  horseback,  and  they  peaceful 
Sunday  riders — " 

The  word  died  on  his  lips.  As  the  light  of  the  lantern 
fell  on  the  faces  of  the  two  horsemen,  he  recognized  in 
the  one  the  lean  profile  and  the  black  imperial  of  Lieu- 
tenant Schnetz,  and  in  the  other  a  little  mustached  gen- 
tleman, with  a  straw  hat  and  a  light  riding-jacket. 

No  ;  it  must  be  a  mistake  !  How  came  he  here  ?  He 
had  been  deceived  by  a  resemblance.  It  was  only  be- 
cause he  had  so  recently  been  thinking  about  past  times, 
that  their  shadow  had  risen  up  before  him.  What  could 
possibly  bring  the  uncle  of  his  betrothed  to  Munich,  and 
in  the  company  of  the  lieutenant — he  who  never  left  his 
niece  ? 

And  yet — as  he  looked  he  heard  him  say  a  word  or 
two  to  Schnetz,  and  then  there  was  a  merry  laugh. 

The  two  rode  unsuspectingly  by,  and  long  after  their 
voices  had  died  away,  Felix  stood  gazing  listlessly  after 
them  in  the  darkness  without  rousing  himself  from  his 
thoughts. 

It  was  he — Irene's  uncle.  But  how  did  he  come  here  ? 
True,  he  had  distant  relatives  in  Munich  ;  but  it  was  years 
since  he  had  left  off  all  intercourse  with  them.  Did  he 
know,  perhaps,  that  Felix  was  here  in  the  city  ?  Was 
that  why  he  had  come,  and  had  he  perhaps  brought  his 
Avard  with  him  ?  And  even  if  it  were  all  an  accident — 
even  the  acquaintance  with  Schnetz — must  not  he  inevi- 
tably learn  from  the  latter  that  the  fugitive  had  hidden 
himself  here  under  the  disguise  of  a  sculptor's  blouse  ? 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  asked  the  girl,  at  last  grow- 
ing impatient.     "  Do  you  know  these  gentlemen  ?  " 

"  Ah  !     Yes,"  he  answered,  suddenly  recalling  where 
he  was  and  with  whom  he  was  standing;  here  in  the  street. 


188  I^    PARADISE. 

With  a  deep  sigh  he  brought  himself  back  to  the  rdle  of 
protector  to  this  poor  child.  He  stammered  a  meaning- 
less remark  about  the  breed  of  the  horses  and  about  skill 
in  riding,  and  once  more  offered  Zenz  the  arm  he  had 
withdrawn  in  his  momentary  confusion. 

He  led  her  thus  across  the  sti'eet  and  into  the  house. 

When  they  had  reached  his  rooms,  where  the  windows 
stood  open  toward  the  garden,  he  hastened  to  light  a 
lamp.  And  then  he  forced  himself,  in  his  character  of 
host,  to  show  the  now  somewhat  silent  and  shy  girl  the 
arrangement  of  his  rooms,  and  all  the  curiosities  that  he 
had  brought  back  from  his  travels.  On  the  table  lay  a 
little  Damascus  dagger,  which  she  took  up  and  looked  at 
curiously.  He  told  her  how  a  young  Spanish  lady  had 
given  it  to  him  in  Mexico.  And  then  he  remembered 
a  bottle  of  sherry  that  was  standing  in  his  closet,  and 
brought  it  and  drew  the  cork. 

"  This  is  all  the  hospitality  I  can  offer  you,"  said  he, 
still  very  absently,  setting  down  a  full  glass  before  her. 

She  shook  her  head,  and  could  not  be  prevailed  upon 
even  to  taste  the  wine.  And  in  all  that  she  did  she  had 
grown  very  shy  and  timid,  like  a  young  swallow  that  has 
flown  into  an  inhabited  room,  and  keeps  close  pressed  into 
a  corner,  where  you  can  see  the  frightened  heart  beating 
under  its  feathered  breast. 

"  Will  you  not  look  and  see  whether  you  can  make 
yourself  comfortable  on  the  sofa  ?  " 

She  did  not  answer,  and  sat  still  in  a  chair  by  the 
window,  her  hat  still  on  her  head,  and  her  shawl  wrapped 
closely  about  her. 

"  A  beautiful  night,"  she  said  softly,  at  last.  "  How 
far  you  can  see  from  here  over  the  city  !  You  are  very 
happy  to  be  able  to  live  in  such  a  beautiful  place." 


IN   PARADISE.  189 

"  Well,  you  can  shai'e  the  happiness,  then.  Only  make 
yourself  quite  at  home.     Ai'e  you  tired  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no  !  but  please  don't  trouble  yourself  about  me. 
If  you  want  to  go  to  sleep,  I  will  sit  here  and  will  not 
stir." 

He  came  and  stood  beside  her  by  the  open  window. 

"  Well,  Zenz,"  he  said,  "  you  must  not  mind  if  I  leave 
you  alone  now.  The  day  has  been  so  hot,  the  wretched 
music  of  that  band  and  all  sorts  of  other  things  have 
given  me  a  furious  headache,  and  I  had  better  get  to  sleep. 
Good-night,  child  !  If  you  want  anything  to  amuse  you, 
here  are  all  manner  of  things — photograjDhs  and  books  of 
pictures.  I  will  light  you  another  candle.  And  now, 
make  yourself  comfortable.  You  can  bolt  the  door  from 
this  side,  and  my  housekeeper  goes  to  market  early  in  the 
morning,  so  that  you  are  quite  safe  from  her.  And  so, 
good-night ! " 

He  touched  her  cheek  lightly.  She  raised  her  face 
toward  him,  quietly  and  submissively,  and  looked  at  him 
half  inquiringly,  half  afraid.  Her  lips,  with  their  white 
teeth,  were  parted — yet  now  without  a  laugh — and  her 
hands  lay  quietly  folded  in  her  lap.  Yet,  as  he  bent  over 
her,  he  only  touched  the  hair  upon  her  forehead  lightly 
with  his  lips. 

"  Good-night !  "  he  said  again. 

Then  he  went  into  the  adjoining  room,  and  closed  the 
door  behind  him. 


190  IN    PARADISE. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

At  the  foot  of  bis  bed  stood  a  cabinet  in  whicb  he 
preserved  all  kinds  of  relics,  diaries,  letters — mementos  of 
his  lost  love.  He  thrust  in  his  hand  at  random,  and  drew 
out  a  portfolio  containing  all  Irene's  letters,  from  the  first 
unimportant  notes,  in  which  she  sent  him  some  commu- 
nication from  her  uncle — her  uncle  had  an  aversion  to 
pen  and  ink,  and  was  very  glad  to  make  use  of  his  niece 
as  a  secretary — to  the  sheets  on  which  the  fate  of  his  life 
stood  written. 

He  lit  a  lamp  and  spread  out  before  him  this  chronicle 
of  the  happiest  years  of  his  youth.  Thus  he  sat  with  his 
back  to  the  door  of  the  sitting-room,  now  reading,  and 
now  mechanically  taking  up  one  sheet  after  the  other. 
What  could  they  tell  him  that  was  new  ?  And  yet  these 
fine,  slender  letters  reminded  him  of  the  hand  that  had 
written  them.  He  had  never  seen  any  other  hand  that 
had  expressed  so  much  character,  so  much  delicacy  and 
firmness,  so  much  flexibility  and  noble  rejjose.  He  had 
often  teased  Irene  about  this,  by  telling  her  that  he  would 
undertake  to  decide  from  the  appearance  of  her  hands 
whether  she  was  glad  or  sad,  laughing  or  crying.  The 
handwriting,  too,  was  a  very  correct  expression  of  her 
impulsive  and  self-controlled  inner  nature.  Now,  as  he 
picked  out  here  and  there  some  particular  sheet  and 
glanced  over  it  again,  the  whole  past  rose  up  so  vividly 
before  him  that  he  felt  as  if  he  must  suffocate  in  the 
close,  lonely,  sad  atmosphere  that  surrounded  him  ;  as 
if  he  were  lying  in  his  grave,  and  a  voice  arose  from  these 


IN    PARADISE.  191 

pages  and  repeated  to  him  the  history  of  his  own  life, 
that  now  lay  ruined  and  shattered  for  ever  more. 

"  Your  dear,  long  letter  from  Mexico,"  she  wrote,  "  I 
gave  to  uncle  to  read.  He  is  always  teasing  me,  because 
1  assert  that  the  letters  of  two  lovers  are  written  to  be 
read  by  two  pairs  of  eyes  only.  It  was  not  possible,  he 
declared,  that  an  epistle  of  sixteen  closely-written  pages, 
like  your  last,  could  be  a  mere  love-letter ;  no  human 
being  could  stand  such  a  thing,  and  we  no  longer  lived, 
thank  God,  in  that  paradise  of  letter- wi'iters — the  time  of 
"VVerther.  So  I  showed  him  the  Mexican  letter,  and  he 
gave  it  back  to  me  with  one  of  his  most  comical  faces. 
He  declared  he  had  never  before  come  across  such  a  lover ; 
here  he  was  giving  a  detailed  description  of  a  charming 
young  girl,  passing  from  one  handsome  woman  tq;  an- 
other, as  if  he  could  think  of  nothing  that  would  give 
greater  pleasure  to  his  fai'-off  sweetheart.  That  was  cer- 
tainly rather  the  oj^posite  of  a  love-letter ;  but  if  I  was 
content  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  all  these  Paquitas, 
Chatitas,  and  Mariquitas,  he  would  not  begrudge  me  the 
pleasure,  and  congratulated  me  upon  my  slight  disposition 
to  jealousy,  which,  to  be  sure,  was  a  very  useful  trait  for 
me  to  have  in  the  case  of  a  traveler  of  this  sort. 

"  I  laughed,  and  he  went  off  to  his  club,  shaking  his 
head. 

"  But  then  I  grew  very  serious,  and  looked  into  my 
own  heart  and  tried  to  make  out  why  it  was  that  I  really 
did  not  feel  the  faintest  spark  of  jealousy.  Perhaps  be- 
cause there  is  room  for  nothing  in  my  heart  but  my  love 
for  you  ;  neither  for  conceit,  nor  fear,  nor  desires,  nor 
doubt.  I  have  never  stopped  to  consider  lohy  it  was  that 
we  two  should  have  loved  one  another.     It  was  so  j  I  felt 


193  /A'    PARADISE. 

that  even  more  strongly  than  I  did  ray  cwti  existence. 
And  for  that  very  reason  it  seems  to  me  inconceivable 
that  it  can  ever  be  any  different.  For  you  do  not  love 
me  because  I  am  the  most  beautiful,  the  wisest,  the  wit- 
tiest, or  the  most  lovable  person  that  you  have  ever  seen, 
but  because  I  am  I,  the  one  person,  with  all  that  I  have 
and  all  that  I  lack,  that  you  will  never  tind  a  second  time. 
So,  though  you  may  find  many  beyond  the  sea  who  are 
m.ore  charming,  more  attractive,  more  brilliant,  you  will 
never  find  me  again;  and  because  I  know  that,  I  can,  when 
evening  comes,  lay  your  sixteen-page  letter  from  over  the 
ocean  under  my  pillow,  and  very  quietly  go  to  sleep  and 
dream  of  you,  without  feeling  any  desire  to  snatch  you, 
with  poison  and  dagger,  from  the  attractions  of  some 
olive-colored  creole. 

"^For  I  know,  dearest  love — vain  as  it  may  sound,  and 
little  store  as  I  set  by  my  few  talents  and  attractions — 
that  I  alone  can  make  you  happy  as  no  other  can  ;  not  so 
happy  that  you  will  never  have  a  wish  unfulfilled  ;  that  I 
shall  appear  to  you  at  all  times  the  crown  and  jewel  of  all 
wives,  and  you  the  chosen  favorite  of  fortime  ;  but  as 
happy  as  it  is  possible  for  one  human  being  to  make  an- 
other, so  happy  will  I  make  you  and  you  make  me  ;  and 
because  we  can  never  comprehend  this,  but  ask  ourselves 
each  day  why  it  should  be  so,  therefore  our  happiness 
shall  have  no  end,  and  no  phenomenon  of  beauty,  grace, 
or  wit,  that  ever  crosses  your  path,  will  be  capable  of  dis- 
turbing; this  happiness. 

"  My  old  Christel  would  raise  her  eyebrows  very 
ominously  at  this  point,  and  would  repeat  '  unjustified, 
entirely  unjustified  ! '  But  I  cannot  help  it ;  as  a  rule  I 
am  timid  and  skeptical  about  anything  good  that  is  prom- 
ised to  me.     But  when  I  think  of  our  love,  I  overflow  with 


IN    PARADISE.  193 

boldness  and  confidence.  What  harm  can  fortune  do  us  ? 
Is  not  our  love  itself  fortune  ?  What  tricks  of  fate  ought 
we  to  fear,  when  we  bear  this  fate,  the  most  important 
and  the  greatest  of  all,  within  us  ? 

"  You  will  not  feel  tempted  to  translate  this  letter  for 
the  benefit  of  your  Spanish  lady  friends.  They  would 
only  pity  you  for  having  a  sweetheart  who  would  write 
you  about  such  serious  matters.  Ah  !  and  yet  my  whole 
heart  laughs  when  I  think  that  they  are  so  serious  with 
us!" 

In  a  later  letter,  that  had  been  addressed  to  Paris,  she 
wi'ote  : 

"  Yesterday,  I  was  at  court  again,  and  to-day  I  thank 
heaven  that  I  managed  to  bear  it,  and  that  the  headache 
which  was  caused  by  its  tiresomeness  is  only  a  moderate 
one.     This  undoubtedly  proceeds  from   the  fact  that  I 

sat  at  supper  next  to  the  embassador  for ,  who  has 

been  in  India,  and  who  described  to  me,  in  great  detail 
and  for  the  third  time,  the  burning  of  a  widow  that  he 
had  once  been  present  at.  (They  say  that  he  always  tells 
the  gentlemen  a  similar  story  about  a  tiger-hunt.)  For 
this  reason  it  happened  that  I  could  think  a  great  deal 
about  you,  and  when  I  can  do  that  I  am  always  happy. 
My  darling,  have  you  yet  learned  to  put  a  good  face  on  a 
bad  matter  ?  To  howl  with  the  wolves  ?  To  do  homage 
to  '  his  serene  highness  your  sovereign  prince,'  without 
letting  your  own  sovereignty  come  out  too  plainly  ?  I 
am  afraid  that,  inasmuch  as  they  don't  dance  the  bolero 
here  at  the  court  balls,  and  as  the  whole  tempo  of  our  life 
is  an  andante  tnaestoso,  you  will  soon  grow  impatient  with 
all  this  again,  and  give  umbrage  to  some  of  the  best  and 
13 


104  IN    PARADISE. 

best-intentioned  people  in  the  world.  No  one  can  nnd^r- 
etand  your  feeling  better  than  I  do  ;  only  to  think  that 
your  poor  sweetheart,  whom  you  have  always  teased  about 
her  good  breeding  and  her  respect  for  conventional  forms, 
is  looked  upon  by  the  society  of  this  city  as  a  very  eman- 
cipated individual,  or,  at  all  events,  is  notorious  for  being 
a  ttte  forte  !  The  reason  of  this  is,  that  I  generally  am 
quite  dumb  in  the  midst  of  all  tiresome  talk  and  whispered 
gossip  ;  but  if  the  conversation  happens  to  turn  upon  any- 
thing deeper,  upon  affairs  of  real  human  interest  and  not 
merely  upon  court  events,  then  I  express  my  true  opinion, 
without  troubling  myself  to  care  whether  it  falls  in  with 
the  court  tone  or  not.  And  the  good  people  look  on  this 
as  very  pronounced,  and  not  at  all  good  form  for  a  young 
lady. 

"  But  don't  you  see,  my  dearest,  in  this  way  I  manage 
to  make  this  whole  world  of  forms  bearable,  by  holding 
my  human  part  ready  in  reserve,  and  looking  upon  all 
these  absurd  prejudices  and  narrow  conventionalities  as 
something  purely  superficial  and  accidental,  as  unimpor- 
tant as  the  other  habits  and  customs  we  have  in  our  toi- 
let, behavior,  and  our  living  and  dying  ?  And  although 
the  forms  of  the  circle  in  which  our  lot  has  happened  to 
place  us  are  very  often  more  tiresome  and  senseless  than 
in  other  stations,  still  existence  can  nowhere  be  entirely 
formless,  and  at  the  most  can  only  seem  so  to  one  who  only 
looks  upon  it  as  a  traveler  may  look,  and  who,  as  an  irre- 
sponsible spectator,  does  not  feel  bound  to  submit  himself 
to  any  of  the  constraint  that  is  incumbent  upon  the  na- 
tives. Have  not  you  yourself  told  me  that  even  among 
the  students  a  severe  etiquette  prevails,  according  to  which 
they  sing  and  drink,  and  fight  duels,  and  make  up  their 
quarrels  ?     If  young  people,  in  the  years  of  their  happiest 


IN    PARADISE.  195 

freedom,  cannot  amuse  themselves  without  submitting  to 
the  restraint  of  customs  and  conventionality,  why  should 
you  be  so  angry  with  our  poor  aristoci-acy,  that  endeavors 
to  console  itself  by  these  wretched  devices  for  the  empti- 
ness of  its  existence  ? 

"  It  is  only  among  ourselves  that  we  need  not  submit 
to  any  formality  !  Only  when  in  his  most  intimate  circle 
can  one  be  a  human  being  !  And,  since  it  is  so,  I  think 
we  can  easily  spare  the  little  tribute  of  restraint  that  we 
have  to  render  to  our  social  equals. 

"So  do  come  back,  and  behave  like  a  pink  of  pro- 
priety, my  darling  scapegrace  ;  and  try  and  make  your 
seven-league  boots  accommodate  themselves  to  the  minuet 
step  of  our  dear  capital  at  least  once  in  every  month  or 
two.  Then  when  we  are  alone  again  in  our  own  four 
walls,  I  will  do  all  I  can  to  make  up  to  you  for  the  en?nd 
you  have  suffered  ;  and  I  will  gladly  dance  the  bolero  with 
you,  if  you  will  only  teach  me  how." 

This  letter  was  soon  followed  by  their  reunion.  With 
what  a  feeling  he  took  up  all  the  little  notes,  that  at  that 
time  had  but  a  few  streets  to  go,  to  bring  messages  about 
a  walk,  a  visit  for  which  he  was  to  call  for  her,  or  some 
incident  that  had  made  it  impossible  to  keep  an  engage- 
ment !  These  notes  showed,  now  and  then,  traces  of  some 
more  serious  misunderstanding  that  had  taken  place  be- 
tween the  two  lovers  :  an  appeal  to  be  very  gentle  to-day, 
a  promise  not  to  refer  by  a  syllable  to  the  dispute  of  the 
day  before.  He  seemed  to  see  again  all  that  he  had  once 
read  between  these  lines. 

And  then  came  her  last  letter,  the  letter  of  parting  : 

"I  am  quite  quiet  now,  Felix,  or  at  least  as  quiet  as 


196  IN    PARADISE. 

one  is  when  pain  has  exhausted  all  one's  strength.  I 
write  to  you  this  very  night,  for  of  course  there  can  be 
no  thought  of  sleep.  I  have  again  and  again  thought  it 
all  over  from  the  beginning,  and  have  each  time  arrived 
at  the  same  conclusion — that  I  deceived  myself  in  believ- 
ing through  all  these  years  that  I  was  necessary  to  your 
happiness.  Do  not  try  to  shake  this  belief  ;  I  am  sadly 
humbled,  Felix,  very  wretched  and  miserable  because  of 
this  confession  ;  but  I  am  as  sure  that  it  is  true,  as  I  am 
that  I  still  live  and  breathe. 

"I  know  that  you  still  love  me,  perhaps  quite  as 
much  as  you  have  always  loved  me.  But  one  thing  I 
did  not  know  before,  and  I  learn  it  now  with  pain  : 
you  love  something  better  than  you  do  me — your  free- 
dom. 

"You  would  be  willing  to  sacrifice  it,  partly  from 
chivalry,  in  order  that  you  might  keep  your  promise  ; 
partly  from  kind-heartedness,  for  you  must  feel  how  my 
whole  life  has  hung  on  you,  and  how  slowly  these  wounds 
will  heal.  And  yet,  it  must  he!  How  could  anything 
that  would  not  make  you  perfectly  happy  ever  be  hap- 
piness to  me  ? 

"  You  shall  be  free  again,  and  you  may  be  so  without 
any  anxiety  about  me.  I  have  more  strength  than  I  seem 
to  have.  There  is  only  one  thing  I  cannot  bear  :  to  see 
a  sacrifice  laid  at  my  feet. 

"  Even  if  you  were  now  willing  to  disclose  your  secret 
to  me,  it  would  not  alter  my  resolve.  I  Avould  not  have 
you  think  that  I  wanted  to  wring  anything  from  you, 
which  you  would  not  give  to  me  of  your  own  accord. 
But  that  you  should  make  a  distinction  between  that 
which  you  share  with  me,  and  that  which  belongs  only 
to  yourself  ...  it  may  seem  narrow-minded  or  weak  or 


IN    PARADISE.  197 

arrogant  of  me,  but  I  cannot  help  myself,  I  cannot  rise 
above  it. 

"  I  shall  never  feel  toward  you,  Felix,  any  differently 
from  what  I  do  now ;  I  shall  never  feel  toward  another 
as  I  do  toward  you,  I  have  to  thank  you  for  the  best 
and  dearest  feelings  that  I  have  ever  possessed  and  expe- 
rienced. No  lapse  of  time  can  change  this  in  the  least — 
as  little  as  it  can  my  resolve. 

"  Think  kindly  of  me,  too — without  bitterness.  And 
now  farewell  ! — farewell  forever  !  Irene." 

He  knew  this  letter  by  heart,  word  for  word,  and  yet 
he  read  it  through  again,  word  for  word,  and  when  he 
came  to  the  end  all  the  pain,  and  defiance,  and  anger 
against  himself  and  against  her  blazed  up  within  him,  as 
it  had  in  the  hour  when  he  first  read  it.  Her  calmness, 
her  gentle  strength,  that  he  used  to  laugh  at  as  artificial, 
although  he  knew  how  free  she  was  from  all  feminine 
tricks  ;  her  clear  comprehension  and  her  courage  in  as- 
serting it :  all  this  humiliated  him  anew.  Then,  indeed, 
he  had  comforted  himself  with  the  belief  that  a  word 
from  him,  a  look,  her  name  merely  pronounced  by  his 
lips,  would  demolish  the  barrier  that  she  had  raised  up 
between  them,  as  easily  as  one  blows  down  a  tower  of 
cards.  He  had  bitterly  deceived  himself.  Neither  by  en- 
treaties nor  stratagems  had  he  succeeded  in  again  gaining 
access  to  her.  He  had  to  admit,  with  a  new  feeling  of  hu- 
miliation, that  she  was  the  stronger.  Then  at  last  he  too 
had,  as  he  believed,  bound  his  breast  in  the  seven-fold  bands 
of  iron,  and  had  turned  away  from  her.  For  the  last  time 
he  wrote  to  her  a  short,  proud,  but  not  unkind  letter, 
almost  like  an  ultimatum  from  one  power  to  another. 
He  had  felt  some  hope  in  regard  to  it  for  that  very  rea- 


198  IN  FA  RAD  is:::. 

son.  Vv^hen  it  remained  unanswered,  he  acknowledged 
that  all  was  over. 

His  face  had  sunk  down  on  the  little  portfolio,  he  had 
closed  his  eyes  and  had  given  himself  up,  with  a  kind  of 
ecstasy,  to  all  these  bitter-sweet  memories.  The  thought 
that  there  was  any  one  near  him  had  passed  completely 
out  of  his  mind,  and  his  dreams  began  to  lapse  deeper 
and  deeper  into  the  haziness  that  usually  precedes  uncon- 
sciousness. 

Suddenly  he  roused  himself  with  a  start.  A  light 
hand  had  touched  his  shoulder.  As  he  turned  hurriedly, 
he  saw  Zenz  standing  behind  him.  She  hastily  stepped 
back  again  as  far  as  the  threshold  of  the  door,  which  she 
had  softly  opened,  and  stood  there  in  the  frame  thus  made 
in  the  exact  attitude  of  Jansen's  "  Dancing  Girl,"  her 
arms  thrown  back  and  holding,  instead  of  the  tambourine, 
the  little  plate  on  which  Felix  had  handed  her  the  wine. 
The  candle-light  that  streamed  in  from  the  sitting-room, 
and  the  little  lamj)  by  the  side  of  Felix's  bed,  doubly 
illuminated  the  slim,  youthful  figure,  and  its  shadow 
flickering  back  and  forth  hcijrhtened  the  weird  charm. 
She  stood  there  with  her  profile  slightly  turned  upward, 
motionless  as  a  statue,  gazing  straight  before  her.  It  was 
not  until  quite  a  time  had  elapsed,  and  she  had  begun  to 
feel  tired,  that  she  asked,  still  without  turning  her  liead, 
whether  he  was  not  going  to  begin  to  sketch  ?  lie  rose 
and  took  a  step  toward  her,  and  then  stood  still  again. 

"My  dear  child,"  he  said,  controlling  himself  with 
difficulty,  "  it  is  too  late  for  that.  The  niglit  has  grown 
cool  —  you  will  catch  cold.  Come,  I  thank  you  very 
much.  You  are  a  beautiful  girl,  and  I — am  not  made  of 
stone.  Now  go  back  and  go  to  sleep.  To-morrow — to- 
morrow we  will  sketch." 


IN    PARADISE.  199 

She  gave  a  start,  and  he  noticed  with  amazement  that 
she  began  to  tremble  violently.  She  gave  but  one  timid 
glance  at  him.  Suddenly,  the  tears  streamed  from  her 
eyes,  she  threw  down  the  plate  with  such  force  that  it 
shivered  into  fragments,  rushed  back  from  the  thi-eshold 
into  the  sitting-room  and  violently  slammed  the  door 
behind  her. 

An  instant  after,  he  heard  the  bolt  pushed  to. 

"  For  God's  sake,  child  !  "  he  cried,  "  what  has  come 
to  you  all  of  a  sudden?  What  have  I  done  to  offend 
you  ?  Open  the  door,  and  let  us  have  a  sensible  talk  to- 
gether. Didn't  I  tell  you  that  I  had  a  headache  ?  And 
who  ever  heard  of  such  an  idea  as  sketching  in  the  middle 
of  the  night  ?  Zenz  !  don't  you  hear  ?  Won't  you  make 
it  up  again  ?  " 

All  in  vain.  After  wasting  his  entreaties  and  at  last 
his  anger,  for  some  time  longer,  on  the  tightly-closed 
door,  he  was  finally  obliged  to  give  it  up.  His  blood  was 
in  a  whirl  ;  he  could  not  conceive  now  how  he  could  have 
repulsed  the  poor  creature  in  such  cold-blooded  fashion. 
"  Perhaps  her  anger  will  pass  over,  if  I  leave  her  to  her- 
self for  a  while,"  he  thought. 

"I  am  going  out  to  take  a  little  walk,"  he  cried 
through  the  key-hole.  "I  must  have  a  breath  of  fresh 
air.  When  I  come  back  again,  perhaps  my  headache  will 
be  gone  and  your  fit  of  temper,  too.  In  the  mean  while, 
pass  away  the  time  as  pleasantly  as  you  can." 

And  he  really  did  go  out  into  the  night ;  but  he  re- 
turned again  before  a  quarter  of  an  hour  had  passed — he 
was  drav/n  back  by  some  power  that  he  himself  could  not 
understand. 

As  he  entered  his  sleeping-room,  where  the  lamp  was 
still  burning  steadily,  it  vv'as  empty.     He  passed  quickly 


200  IN    PARADISE. 

through  the  door,  which  was  now  unbolted,  into  the  sit- 
ting-room. But  here,  too,  no  trace  could  be  found  of  his 
guest,  search  as  he  would  behind  the  curtains  and  in  the 
dark  corners.  The  light  had  not  been  extinguished  and 
a  bat  had  flown  into  the  room,  and  the  exertion  of  hunt- 
ing him  out  again  threw  him  into  a  perspiration.  "When 
at  last  he  succeeded,  and,  exhausted  by  such  a  variety  of 
excitement,  had  sunk  back  upon  the  sofa,  he  found  that 
all  the  little  knickknacks,  which  he  had  spread  before  her 
when  they  first  arrived,  were  still  lying  on  the  table  in 
the  same  order  in  which  he  had  left  them.  The  little 
dagger  which  his  Creole  friend  had  given  him  was  the 
only  thing  he  missed,  and  he  could  not  find  it  though  he 
searched  for  it  everywhere. 


BOOK  III. 


CHAPTER    I 


There  are  summer  nights  that  are  not  made  for  sleep. 
The  moon  shines  far  brighter  than  at  other  times,  as  if  a 
lamp  were  burning  at  its  full  height  in  the  sleeping-room 
instead  of  a  mere  night-light.  People  strolling  along, 
absorbed  in  thought  and  feeling  the  flagstones  under  their 
feet  still  warm — for  they  have  been  drinking  in  the  fierce 
glow  of  the  sun  the  livelong  summer  day — catch  them- 
selves in  the  act  of  crossing  over  out  of  the  moonlight  to 
the  shady  side,  just  as  one  does  in  the  hot  noontide.  On 
such  nights  as  this,  sounds  of  life  and  merriment  are  heard 
throughout  the  city  long  after  the  police  have  sounded 
the  hour  for  retiring  ;  the  couples  that  wander  through 
the  streets  seem  unable  to  find  their  way  home  ;  young 
fellows  march  along  arm-in-arm,  in  long  rows  stretching 
the  whole  width  of  the  road,  as  if  advancing  to  battle 
against  some  invisible  enemy,  singing  all  the  while  as 
tenderly  and  sweetly  as  they  know  how,  or  else  shrieking 
and  yelling  like  a  troop  of  wild  Indians.  Here  and  there, 
where  a  windoAV  stands  open  and  a  sonata  of  Beethoven 
floats  out  into  the  night,  they  suddenly  hush  their  noise 
and  listen,  only  to  break  out  in  a  wild  burst  of  applause  the 
moment  the  music  ceases.  On  such  a  night  solitary  youth 
lies  dreaming,  with  open  eyes,  till  long  past  midnight,  of 


202  J^    PARADISE. 

the  glories  of  the  future  ;  and  solitary  age  thinks  sadly 
how  glorious  the  past  "was  ;  and  at  last  they  fall  asleep 
over  their  musing,  and  slumber  quietly,  until  some  young 
cock  in  a  neighboring  roost,  who  cannot  sleep  himself, 
gives  a  glance  up  to  heaven  and  begins  to  crow  with  such 
vigor  at  the  setting  moon,  which  he  mistakes  for  the  ris- 
ing sun,  that  the  sleepers  start  up  again,  throw  off  the 
bedclothes  from  their  hot  limbs,  and  creep  to  the  window 
to  see  whether  the  night  is  really  at  an  end.  After  this 
there  is  no  more  sleep  for  the  aged  ;  but  they  who  are 
young  lie  down  once  more  and  soon  make  up  for  all  that 
they  have  lost. 

Such  was  the  night  that  followed  that  Sunday.  Of 
those  in  whose  fate  and  adventures  we  are  interested,  none 
went  to  bed  before  midnight,  though  in  truth  some  other 
sprite  than  the  charm  of  the  sultry  night  had  possession 
of  their  hearts  and  senses.  Even  the  good  Angelica,  who 
to  the  best  of  our  knowledge  was  not  in  love,  and  who 
rejoiced  moreover  in  that  softest  of  pillows,  a  good  con- 
science, sat  at  the  open  window  of  her  little  virgin  bower, 
in  which  a  lamp  was  dimly  burning,  half  through  the 
night,  twining  her  curls  and  heavily  sighing  and  dropping 
into  a  doze,  until  her  head  would  strike  against  the  win- 
dow-sash, when  she  would  start  up  and  begin  once  more 
to  spin  her  sorrowful  summer-night's  thoughts.  She  had 
been  at  Julie's  door  that  afternoon  to  inquire  what  had 
been  the  upshot  of  this  bad  business.  But  no  one  was  at 
home.  And  so  she  was  waiting  impatiently  for  tlie  fol- 
lowing day. 

It  was  later  still  before  Julie  could  bring  herself  to  go 
to  bed.  The  windows  in  her  chamber  stood  open  so  as  to 
let  in  the  night-air  through  the  openings  in  the  closed 
blinds.     But  with  the  air  the  magical  moonbeams  streamed 


IN    PARADISE.  203 

in  too,  and  made  a  pattern  on  her  green  silk  coverlet ;  her 
thoughts  were  lost  in  its  mazes,  so  that  she  could  not  close 
her  eyes.  She  felt  as  if  she  had  never  been  at  once  so 
happy  and  so  wretched.  At  heart  she  did  not  doubt  for 
a  moment  that  everything  really  was  just  as  it  stood  in 
the  baleful  letter  ;  that  she  would  never  possess  him 
whom  she  loved.  His  own  puzzling  behavior,  the  way  in 
which  he  had  suddenly  broken  off  and  rushed  out  of  the 
room,  confirmed  the  anonymous  accusation  only  too  well. 
But  the  thought  that  she  loved  him,  and  that  he  returned 
her  ove,  crowded  out  all  others,  and  made  her  so  glad  in 
the  depths  of  her  heart,  that  no  hostile  fate  could  crush  the 
rejoicing  within  her.  So  he  is  to  "  give  her  back  her  faith 
in  her  own  heart  !  "  What  a  senseless  phrase  !  When 
had  she  ever  believed  in  anything  as  she  believed  in  the 
strength  and  truth  and  invincibility  of  this  feeling,  in 
the  feeling  that  it  was  worth  while  to  have  lived  through 
a  long  youth  without  love  and  happiness  for  the  sake  of 
this  man,  so  that  now  she  might  lavish  upon  him  a  hoarded 
wealth  of  passion  ? 

She  could  'not  help  smiling  when  it  occurred  to  her 
how  often  she  had  thought  that  she  had  done  with  the 
world,  and  could  look  back  without  regret  upon  the  years 
of  youth  she  had  lost.  What  had  become  of  those  ten 
anxious  years  ?  Had  she  really  lived  in  them  or  only 
dreamed  of  them  ?  Was  she  not  as  young  and  inexperi- 
enced, as  thirsty  for  happiness  and  as  coy  in  its  presence, 
as  she  had  ever  been  in  the  first  blooming  years  of  her 
girlhood  ?  Yes,  she  felt  the  courage  of  her  earliest  youth, 
when  she  still  believed  in  miracles,  bubbling  up  within 
her  from  an  inexhaustible  spring.  She  made  no  attempt 
to  close  her  eyes  to  what  could  and  would  happen.  But 
that  this  love,  hopeless  as  it  seemed,  would  be  a  source  of 


204  IN    PARADISE. 

unspeakable  happiness  to  her,  that  in  the  sanctuary  of  hel 
heart  she  -vrould  never  cease  to  look  upon  this  man  as  be- 
longing to  her — all  this  she  admitted  to  herself  in  words 
so  plain  that,  as  she  lay  there  wide  awake  in  the  moon- 
light, they  sometimes  found  utterance  in  a  half -audible 
soliloquy. 

Then  she  marveled  at  the  suddenness  with  which  it 
had  all  come  about,  but  she  soon  convinced  herself  again 
that  this  was  just  as  it  should  be.  She  tried  hard  to  pict- 
ure to  herself  the  kind  of  wife  he  might  have.  But  she 
could  not ;  it  seemed  to  her  impossible  that  he  could  ever 
have  loved  any  one  but  herself.  She  closed  her  eyes  and 
tried  to  recall  his  features  to  her  mind.  Singularly 
enough  she  met  with  no  great  success.  His  eyes  were  all 
that  she  could  distinctly  call  uj)  before  her,  and  his  voice 
seemed  always  to  be  close  to  her  ear.  She  rose  and 
stepped  to  the  window,  and  opened  the  blinds  a  little  to 
see  if  the  night  were  not  almost  over.  She  herself  did  not 
know  why  she  should  thus  look  forward  to  the  morning, 
for  there  was  little  hope  that  it  would  bring  her  anything 
new  or  good.  But  it  would  bring  him,  she  could  count 
on  that.  With  burning  lips  she  drew  in  the  mild  night- 
air,  and  listened  to  a  love-song,  which  a  solitary  youth 
sang  as  he  passed  under  her  window. 

She  understood  each  word,  and  as  he  ended  she  re- 
peated the  closing  verses  softly,  and  sighed  as  she  shut 
the  blinds  again.  Then  she  lay  down  and  at  last  fell 
asleep. 

The  day  had  long  dawned  outside,  but  the  green  twi- 
light in  which  she  lay  caused  her  to  dream  on  undisturbed. 
It  struck  seven,  ^ight,  nine,  from  the  clock  on  the  Thea- 
tinerkirche.  Then  at  last  she  awoke,  feeling  as  refreshed 
as  if  she  had  just  emerged  from  bathing  in  the  sea.     It 


I 


IN    PARADISE.  205 

was  some  time  before  she  could  think  clearly  of  all  that 
had  happened  yesterday  and  would  probably  happen  to- 
day, but  as  she  did  so  a  vague  fear  and  anxiety  came 
over  her.  She  hastened  to  dress,  so  that  she  might  go  out 
and  ask  whether  any  letter  had  come.  When  at  last  she 
opened  the  door  into  the  parlor,  her  figure  wrapped  in  a 
loose  robe,  and  her  hair  thrust  carelessly  under  a  pretty 
cap,  her  foot  hit  against  some  heavy  object  that  took  up 
the  whole  breadth  of  the  threshold.  As  the  blinds  were 
closed  in  this  room  also,  she  did  not  see  at  first,  owing  to 
her  short-sightedness,  what  it  was  that  lay  in  her  way. 
But  the  object  immediately  began  to  move  of  its  own  ac- 
cord, and  raised  itself  up  before  her,  and  she  felt  a  cold 
tongue  on  her  hand  and  saw  that  the  intruder  was  no 
other  than  Jansen's  venerable  Newfoundland  dog.  The 
start  he  gave  her  was  almost  instantly  lost  in  the  greater 
one  with  which  she  found  herself  saying,  "  Where  the  dog 
is,  the  master  will  not  be  far  away."  And  she  was  right, 
for  there,  in  the  back  part  of  the  room,  leaning  against 
the  stove,  was  a  dark  figure  with  disheveled  hair,  standing 
as  immovable  in  its  place  as  she  herself  stood  in  the  door- 
way, deprived  of  all  power  to  move  a  limb  or  open  her 
lips. 

Just  at  this  moment  the  other  door  opened,  and  the 
old  servant  stepped  in  and  turned  to  the  man  at  the  stove 
with  a  gesture  which  was  half  indignant,  half  timid,  but 
which  said  plainer  than  words  that  it  had  been  impossible 
to  turn  away  this  uncomfortably  early  guest  ;  he  had 
made  his  way  in  by  force. 

"It  is  quite  right,  Erich,"  said  his  mistress,  who  had 
now  completely  recovered  her  composure.  "  I  will  ring 
when  I  want  breakfast.  And,  by-the-way,  I  am  not  at 
home  in  case  any  one  calls." 


206  IN    PARADISE. 

The  old  man  retired,  shrugging  his  shoulders,  and 
muttering  to  himself.  The  moment  he  closed  the  door 
behind  him,  Julie  stepped  quickly  up  to  Jansen,  who  stood 
in  silence  at  the  opposite  end  of  the  room,  and  cordially 
extended  her  hand. 

"  Thank  you  for  coming,"  she  said  ;  and  from  her 
voice  it  Avould  have  been  hard  for  any  one  to  have  be- 
lieved how  her  heart  beat  as  she  uttered  these  few  words. 
"  But  sit  down.     We  have  much  to  say  to  one  another." 

He  bowed  slightly,  but  remained  standing  where  he 
was,  and  appeared  not  to  notice  that  she  had  offered  him 
her  hand. 

"  Pardon  this  early  visit,"  he  said,  "  Your  note  did 
not  reach  me  last  evening.  Early  this  morning,  when  1 
went  into  the  studio — " 

"  Have  you  any  suspicion  as  to  who  could  have  written 
the  letter  ? "  she  interrupted,  wishing  to  come  to  his  aid. 
She  had  sunk  down  into  a  chair,  and  the  dog  lay  beside 
her  on  the  carpet,  occasionally  giving  a  growl  of  content 
as  he  felt  her  soft  hand  on  his  head. 

"  I  think  I  know,"  replied  Jansen,  after  a  short  pause. 
"  I  am  certain  that  some  one  in  this  city  is  dogging  all  my 
steps,  very  likely  in  the  interest  of  another.  What  was  in 
that  letter  is  nothing  but  the  pure  truth  ;  and  when  I  went 
to  my  studio  this  morning,  I  carried  a  letter  in  my  pocket 
which  I  had  written  overnight,  and  Avhich  tells  you  almost 
the  same  thing.     Here  it  is — if  you  would  like  to  read  it." 

She  shook  her  head  slightly. 

"  What  for,  my  dear  friend,  if  it  tells  me  nothing 
new?" 

"  Perhaps  it  may.  But  you  are  right ;  this  piece  of 
paper  cannot  prove  to  you  the  fact  I  most  desire  to  have 
proved  :  that  is,  that  I  really  wrote  this  letter  last  night 


IN    PARADISE.  207 

before  I  knew  of  any  other.  That  is  something  you  can 
only  believe  from  my  personal  assurance — and  that  is  the 
reason  of  my  being  here." 

"  That  is  the  reason  ?  Oh  !  my  friend,  as  if  I  needed 
such  an  assurance — as  if  your  hasty  departure  yesterday 
had  not  told  me  that  you  did  not  trust  yourself  to  stay  be- 
cause you — because  you  had  only  said  what  you  did  in  a 
moment  of  self-forgetfulness — and  yet,  believe  me,  that 
was  a  thoughtless  word  that  slipped  from  my  pen,  that  only 
an  explanation  from  you  could  give  me  back  my  faith  in 
my  own  heart.  I  have  never  lost  that  faith.  I  believe 
to-day,  as  yesterday,  that  my  heart  knew  perfectly  well 
what  it  was  about  when  it  surrendered  itself  to  you." 

"  You  are  an  angel  from  heaven  !  "  he  cried,  his  grief 
breaking  forth  ;  "  you  seek  to  defend  me  even  from  my- 
self. Yet  for  me  with  my  hopeless  lot  to  have  forced  my- 
self into  your  quiet  life,  will  never  cease  to  be  a  crime. 
That  is  what  I  said  to  myself  yesterday  the  moment  I  left 
your  door.  This  letter  attempted  to  say  the  same  thing, 
and  informed  you  also  of  my  firm  resolve  never  to  show 
myself  in  your  sight  again.  But  the  strange  hand  that 
tugs  at  the  chords  of  my  ruined  life,  and  seeks  to  tear 
them  asunder,  has  shattered  this  resolve.  Now  I  owe  you 
a  longer  confession  than  could  be  written  in  a  letter.  For 
not  until  you  know  all  about  me  will  you  be  able  to  un- 
derstand that,  though  it  was  a  sin,  it  was  still  a  human 
one,  that  caused  me  so  to  forget  myself ;  and  that  you 
need  not  withdraw  your  respect  from  me — though  you  do 
your  heart — and  your  hand." 

He  was  silent  again  for  a  moment ;  she,  too,  said  noth- 
ing. She  trembled,  but  she  strove  hard  to  appear  calm, 
so  that  he  would  go  on.  How  willingly  she  would  have 
heard  her  fate  in  two  words — her  "  to  be  or  not  to  be  !  " 


20S  IN    PARADISE. 

"What  did  she  care  for  all  the  rest  ?  But  she  felt  that  he 
had  more  to  tell  her,  and  she  would  not  interrupt  him. 

"  I  hardly  know,"  he  continued,  "  how  much  our  friend 
Angelica  has  told  you  about  me.  I  am  a  peasant's  son, 
and  had  to  struggle  through  a  hard  childhood  ;  and  it  was 
a  long  time  before  I  could  bend  my  stiff  peasant's  neck  so 
that  it  fitted  without  chafing  in  the  yoke  of  city  etiquette. 
Few  men  have  ever  gone  such  strange  ways  as  I  have,  al- 
ways wavering  between  defiance  and  humility,  audacity 
and  shrinking,  as  well  in  my  dealings  with  my  fellow-men 
as  in  my  art.  I  had  a  mother  of  the  true  old  yeoman 
nobility — which  is  synonymous  Avith  true  human  nobility 
— at  least  in  our  part  of  the  country.  She  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  making  a  strong,  silent  man  of  my  father,  who 
had  a  streak  of  the  tyrant  in  him.  If  she  had  lived  lon- 
ger, who  knows  whether  I  should  ever  have  left  her  ?  But 
soon  after  her  death  I  prevailed  upon  my  father  to  let  me 
go  to  the  art-school  at  Kiel.  I  did  little  good  there. 
There  was  a  wild  element  among  the  scholars,  and  I  was 
not  the  tamest.  I  always  had  a  great  contempt — perhaps 
because  I  was  ashamed  of  my  peasant's  manners — for 
what  we  were  pleased  to  call  the  Philistinism  of  the  wor- 
thy citizens.  That  I,  as  an  artist,  was  permitted  all  sorts 
of  liberties  that  were  denied  to  officials,  scholars,  and 
tradespeople,  pleased  me  greatly  ;  and  I  abused  my  free- 
dom without  stint.  But  as  I  moved  in  a  very  narrow 
circle,  and  seldom  came  in  contact  with  any  high  type  of 
humanity,  I  had  no  great  field  in  which  to  display  the 
profligacy  of  my  thoughts  and  habits.  A  few  Avretched 
liaisons,  and  a  number  of  silly  and  by  no  means  edifying 
scrapes,  were  all  that  came  of  it. 

"  Then  I  moved  to  Hamburg.  There  the  same  wild 
life  was  continued  on  a  somewhat  larger  scale.     You  will 


IN    PARADISE.  209 

readily  spare  me  the  details.  Now,  when  I  think  back  on 
that  time,  I  have  to  stop  and  reflect  whether  it  really 
could  have  been  I  who  Avasted  his  days  and  nights  in  such 
shameful  dissipation  Avith  such  worthless  companions. 
They  were  my  Prince  Hal  days.  '  The  Avild  oats  had  to 
be  sowm.'  But  now  I  thank  my  good  star  for  having  led 
me  safely,  though  by  dubious  ways,  past  all  that  kind  of 
crime  and  wrong-doing  which  could  not  have  been  cov- 
ered by  this  trite  saying." 

"  Well,  one  evening,  when  my  aching  head  and  my 
gnawing  rage  at  my  own  idiocy  unfitted  me  for  anything 
else,  I  went  to  the  theatre,  and  saw  for  the  first  time  an 
actress  who  Avas  just  entering  on  an  engagement  there. 
The  piece  was  a  flat,  sensational,  social  drama,  in  which 
she  took  the  part  of  the  noble,  generous,  young  wife,  who 
plays  the  saving  angel  to  the  dissipated  husband.  It  was 
a  moral  lecture  that  appealed  directly  to  my  own  case  ; 
and  as  the  sinner,  even  in  his  deepest  degradation,  seemed 
an  enviable  creature  as  compared  with  me — for  he  invari- 
ably fell  into  the  arms  of  his  guardian  angel — I  could  not 
help  wishing  myself  in  his  place,  and  so  was  led  to  ex- 
amine that  angel  very  carefully. 

"  She  was  certainly  well  worth  looking  at.  A  most 
charming  young  person,  with  a  figure,  a  bearing,  and  a 
certain  indolent  grace  in  all  her  movements,  such  as  I  had 
never  seen  before.  In  addition  to  all  this  a  childlike  face, 
with  dove-like  eyes,  and  such  an  innocent,  plaintive  mouth, 
that  you  would  have  been  willing  to  storm  the  very 
heavens  just  to  bring  a  smile  to  those  pretty  lips.  When 
this  really  appeared  at  the  close  of  the  play  (for  the  young 
husband  reformed),  it  Avas  all  over  with  me.  As  I  noticed 
that  half  the  audience — indeed,  the  entire  male  part — had 
gone  mad  over  her,  I  considered  my  sudden  infatuation 
14 


210  ly^    FARAD  I SE. 

not  extraordinary  ;  especially  as  I  have  a  way  of  not  being 
very  slow  in  my  feelings  of  love  and  hate.  You  have  had 
experience  of  that  yourself." 

He  paused  for  a  moment,  and  gave  her  a  hasty  glance. 
But  she  did  not  stir,  so  breathlessly  was  she  listening  to 
him,  her  eyes  fixed  on  the  head  of  the  dog,  who  lay  quiet- 
ly sleeping  at  her  side. 

"  I  will  spare  you  any  account  of  the  further  course  of 
my  love  affair,"  he  continued.  "  It  is  enough  that  in  eight 
days  I  gained  my  case  by  ardor  and  flattery  :  and  Lucie 
was  my  betrothed. 

"  The  strange  manner  in  which  she  bore  herself  in  this 
position  ought  to  have  warned  me.  To  my  first  passionate 
wooing  she  had  opposed  a  prudishness  and  a  maidenly  re- 
serve such  as  I  had  not  expected  to  find  in  an  actress, 
especially  as  she  let  me  see  plainly  enough  that  she  felt 
anything  but  indifferent  toward  me,  and  that  the  hom- 
age of  an  artist  whose  reputation  was  then  in  the  ascend- 
ant was  exceptionally  flattering  to  her.  But  no  sooner 
did  I,  somewhat  taken  aback  by  this  severe  maidenly  re- 
serve, make  her  a  projjosal  that  aimed  at  nothing  less  than 
our  marriage  and  her  retirement  from  the  stage,  than  her 
tone  changed.  She  began  to  treat  the  subject  with  greater 
lightness,  to  utter  platitudes  against  marriages  among  ar- 
tists, and  in  praise  of  the  happiness  of  liberty  ;  to  tease  me 
with  moods,  and  to  attract  me  again  by  all  kinds  of 
pretty  coaxing;  so  that  my  passionate  obstinacy  was  urged 
higher  and  higher,  until  at  last  I  forced  her,  half  against 
her  will,  to  fix  the  Avedding-day. 

"Of  course  this  excited  the  greatest  amazement  among 
my  former  companions,  who  could  scarcely  believe  their 
ears.  To  those  with  whom  I  was  most  intimate  I  expa- 
tiated on  the  matter  as  an  exceedingly  practical  undertak- 


IN    PARADISE.  211 

ing,  as  a  truly  sensible  marriage.  I  should  never  again 
find  a  being  who  was  thus  equally  removed  from  Philistin- 
ism and  evil  courses.  Besides,  one  cannot  go  on  sowing 
wild  oats  forever  ;  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  now,  when  my 
prospects  had  begun  to  seem  quite  favorable  on  account  of 
a  number  of  orders  I  had  received,  v/as  the  most  suitable 
time  to  settle  to  a  steadier  life.  This  is  what  I  said  to  my 
most  intimate  friends.  I  said  nothing  to  the  others.  One 
of  them,  our  Falstaff,  who  was  the  one  most  concerned  at 
my  loss,  took  me  aside  one  day  and  asked  whether  I  was 
really  in  earnest  about  this  foolish  affair.  Upon  my 
replying  that  I  was  sufficiently  in  earnest  to  forbid  any 
contemptuous  ci'iticism  upon  my  conduct,  even  from  a 
good  friend,  he  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  excused  him- 
self :  he  had  not  had  the  slightest  intention  of  offending 
me,  but  he  mei'ely  wished  to  call  my  attention  to  the  fact 
that  this  freak  of  mine  might  cost  me  too  dearly.  Then, 
when  I  pressed  him  furthei*,  he  remarked  that  'in  his 
opinion  there  were  such  things  as  artificial  violets,  and 
that  the  most  genuine  thing  about  this  creature  was  her 
acting,  which,  unfortunately,  she  kept  up  in  real  life  as 
well  as  on  the  stage.  And  then  followed  a  short  sketch 
of  her  adventurous  career,  which  this  well-meaning  man 
had  collected,  not  M'ithout  considerable  trouble,  from 
numberless  inquiries  at  the  theatres  where  she  had  ap- 
peared. 

"  Of  course  I  expressed  my  appreciation  of  his  kind- 
ness in  the  plainest  possible  words,  broke  v/ith  him  once 
and  for  all,  and  ran  off  to  my  betrothed,  to  whom  I  ex- 
citedly related  the  whole  chronicle  of  what  I  had  heard 
about  her  way  of  life.  The  idea  had  never  even  entered 
my  head  that  she  would  answer  me  in  any  other  way  than 
with  a  burst  of  burning  indignation,  and  I  had  already 


213  I^    PARADISE. 

been  considering  what  kind  words  I  should  make  use  of 
in  order  to  soothe  her.  But  she  heard  me  through  without 
emotion,  indeed  without  even  blushing,  so  that  for  a  mo- 
ment I  was  fool  enough  to  say  to  myself,  '  I  really  believe 
she  is  so  innocent  that  she  doesn't  even  understand  what 
I  have  been  telling  her.'  But  when  I  ceased  speaking, 
she  looked  me  full  in  the  face,  quite  unabashed  and  with 
her  most  angelic  expression,  and  said :  '  This  is  all  a  lie, 
except  in  one  particular.  I  committed  a  single  wrong 
when  I  was  a  mere  child,  and  that  was  the  reason  why  I 
refused  to  become  your  wife.  Do  now  as  you  like  ;  you 
know  what  you  take  when  you  take  me.' 

"  This  confession,  which*  she  made  with  her  irresistible 
melodramatic  voice,  blinded  me  completely ;  and  I  was 
more  convinced  than  ever  that  all  the  rest  of  the  talk 
about  her  deceitfulness  and  coquetry,  and  her  heartless 
flirting  with  foolish  young  admirers,  was  a  lie.  *  No,'  I 
cried,  folding  her  in  my  arms,  '  you  shall  not  find  your- 
self disappointed  in  me,  you  shall  not  find  a  nan*ow- 
minded  Philistine,  when  you  thought  yoii  were  giving 
yourself  up  to  a  free  artist's  soul.  What  lies  behind  you 
shall  cast  no  shadow  over  our  future.  If  it  is  true  that 
you  love  me,  why  then — '  and  here  I  quoted,  slightly 
changing  it  to  suit  the  occasion,  a  verse  of  poetry  that  I 
had  read  but  a  short  time  before  and  had  thought  very 
profound.  *  Was  I  a  saint  before  I  asked  your  hand  ? 
And  yet  I  was  master  of  my  fate,  and  knew  what  I  did. 
No,  let  there  be  day  before  us  and  behind  us  night,  that 
none  may  look  upon  us  !  Only  promise  me  that  in  the 
future  all  your  thoughts  shall  belong  to  me  alone.' 

"  She  sobbed  violently  in  my  arms,  and  made  me  the 
fairest  promises.  I  almost  believe  that  at  that  moment 
she  did  indeed  mean  what  she  said,  for  there  was  a  sound 


IN   PARADISE.  213 

spot  in  her  that  had  not  yet  been  touched  by  the  worm — 
a  longing  for  what  was  pure  and  good.  If  this  had  not 
been  the  case,  how  would  it  have  been  possible  for  me  to 
have  continued  in  my  blindness  longer  than  the  few  weeks 
of  the  honey-moon  ?  But  she  herself  seemed  so  happy  in 
those  first  months,  though  we  lived  quite  by  ourselves — 
for  I  had  broken  with  my  old  cronies,  and  had  no  par- 
ticular desire  to  form  new  acquaintances,  whom  I  could 
only  have  found  among  the  Philistine  class  that  I  so 
heartily  despised.  Then,  too,  she  grew  more  charming 
with  each  day.  Once  in  a  while,  however,  I  caught  her 
poring  over  her  prompt-books  ;  and  then  I  told  her  blunt- 
ly, for  I  could  see  that  her  eyes  were  red  with  weeping, 
that  she  longed  to  be  back  behind  the  foot-lights  again, 
that  she  missed  the  applause  and  grieved  because  she 
could  not  any  longer  turn  the  heads  of  the  whole  par- 
quet. '  What  can  you  be  thinking  of  ! '  she  laughed.  '  In 
my  condition  !  Why,  I  should  feel  like  sinking  through 
the  deepest  trap-door,  I  should  be  so  ashamed  ! '  In  this 
way  she  would  drive  away  my  suspicions  ;  and  when  at 
length  her  child  was  born,  I  really  thought  she  was  so 
taken  up  with  household  joys  and  cares  that  she  cared 
for  nothing  else. 

*'  It  is  true  she  was  not  such  a  foolish  mother  as  to 
think  her  child  an  angel  of  beauty.  It  was  a  rather  plain, 
unattractive-looking  little  thing — '  the  father  over  again,' 
remarked  the  women,  very  justly.  But  she  played  the 
role  of  mother  with  considerable  talent ;  and  not  until  a 
long  time  later,  when  she  was  sent  to  the  sea-shore  to 
recuperate,  did  it  occur  to  me  that  she  parted  without  any 
particular  grief  from  the  laughing  and  cooing  little  crea- 
ture that  clung  so  tightly  to  her.  I  staid  at  home  and 
let  her  go  over  to  Heligoland  by  herself,  in  the  charge  of 


214  /A"    PARADISE. 

an  elderly  friend  of  hers — an  actress,  but  a  woman  bear- 
ing an  irreproachable  name.  I  happened  to  have  a  few 
orders  that  it  was  necessary  to  execute  just  as  soon  as 
possible — among  others  two  busts  of  a  rich  wharfinger 
and  his  wife — and  as  our  household,  small  as  it  was,  made 
pretty  heavy  drains  upon  my  purse,  I  felt  that  I  ought 
not  to  let  these  chances  slip  through  my  fingers.  It  was 
our  first  separation,  and  I  found  it  hard  enough  to  bear. 
But,  as  I  had  to  work  hard  and  also  to  fill  a  mother's 
place  toward  the  child,  the  first  two  weeks  passed  pretty 
quickly, 

"  But  after  that  the  little  one  began  to  give  me  a  great 
deal  of  anxiety.  Teething  set  in,  there  were  bad  days 
and  worse  nights,  and  the  letters  I  received  from  my  wife 
— in  which  she  said  she  was  doing  admirably  and  had 
grown  quite  young  again — did  not  tend  to  raise  my  spirits 
especially,  for  it  appeared  as  if  nothing  w^ere  wanting  to 
her  happiness,  not  even  her  husband  and  child. 

"  Heretofore  I  had  had  neither  disposition  nor  occa- 
sion for  jealousy.  Suddenly  I  was  to  learn  what  an  abyss 
can  be  uncovered  in  a  man's  soul,  into  which  everything 
sinks  that  he  has  before  believed  firm  and  true. 

"  I  had  been  sitting  up  late  ;  the  child  was  very  fever- 
ish, and  toward  midnight  we  had  been  obliged  to  call  in 
the  doctor.  For  the  first  time  I  thought  Avith  bitterness 
about  my  wife,  who  could  stay  at  such  a  distance  and 
nurse  her  own  health  while  the  little  life,  that  should  have 
been  dearer  to  her  than  her  own,  was  trembling  in  the 
balance.  When  the  child  had  been  quieted  a  little,  so 
that  I  could  think  of  taking  some  rest,  it  was  a  long  time 
before  I  could  close  my  eyes,  though  as  a  general  thing  I 
could  reckon  on  ray  peasant's  sleep  under  all  circum- 
stances.     At  last  it  came,  but   with  it  came  dreams — • 


IN    PARADISE.  215 

dreams  such  as  I  would  not  have  wished  to  the  damned 
in  hell.  Always  about  her,  in  ever-new  costumes,  play- 
ing the  old  play  of  pledged  and  broken  faith.  Out  of  the 
last  scene,  where,  in  the  very  presence  of  her  lover  and 
with  the  quietest  mien  in  the  world,  she  sought  to  demon- 
strate to  me  her  right  to  transfer  her  love  from  one  man 
to  another,  until  I  sprang  forward  with  a  cry  of  fury  to 
seize  her  by  the  hair — out  of  this  wretched  vision  of  hell 
I  was  awakened  by  the  crying  of  my  child ;  so  that  I  did 
not  take  time  to  wipe  the  cold  sweat  from  my  forehead, 
but  ran  into  the  nursery  quite  prepared  to  find  Death 
standing  at  the  head  of  the  little  bed.  But  once  again  it 
passed,  and  in  the  morning  we  were  both  able  to  get  a 
couple  of  hours  of  quiet  sleep.  Then,  at  last,  I  sat  down 
and  wrote  to  my  wife  just  how  things  stood. 

"  For  some  days  before,  I  had  not  sent  her  any  very 
encouraging  reports.  Any  other  woman  would  have  re- 
turned at  once,  and  not  have  tried  to  excuse  herself  on 
the  ground  that  the  water-cure  ought  not  to  be  inter- 
rupted. But  she — enough  !  I  must  try  and  control  my- 
self when  I  speak  of  her.  After  all  the  poor  creature 
cannot  be  blamed  because  she  had  no  heart,  and  because 
my  love  and  passion  could  not  conjure  up  one  within  her 
breast. 

"But  at  the  time  I  wrote  in  all  the  roughness  and 
bitterness  of  my  mood,  and  insisted  upon  her  immediate 
return.  I  had  almost  forgotten  the  dreams  of  the  night 
before.  But  a  little  later,  when  I  was  taking  a  walk 
tlirough  the  city,  chance  willed  it  that  they  should  again 
be  recalled  to  my  mind. 

"I  met  a  gossiping  acquaintance,  Avho  had  also  been 
passing  a  few  weeks  at  the  island.  Heaven  knows  how 
it  came  about  that  I  stopped  him  and  inquired  about  my 


216  IN    PARADISE. 

"vdfe.  He  was  very  much  surprised  to  hear  that  she  had 
been  there,  indeed  that  she  was  there  still.  As  in  such  a 
small  place  everybody  met  everybody  else,  he  could  not 
understand  how  so  beautiful  a  woman  could  have  escaped 
his  notice.  'To  be  sure,  she  has  lived  in  great  retire- 
ment,' I  stammered,  and  he  found  this  very  natural  and 
praiseworthy  of  a  charming  young  lady,  and  hoped  the 
cure  would  be  successful,  and  so  left  me  ;  while  I  stood 
there  like  a  fool  for  a  full  quarter  of  an  hour,  staring 
vacantly  at  the  same  flag-stone,  and  blocking  peoples'  way 
as  if  I  had  been  a  stopping-post.  Yet  she  must  have 
been  there  ;  letters  had  daily  passed  back  and  forth  ;  and 
then,  what  earthly  reason  could  she  have  for  trying  to 
deceive  me  in  this  respect  ?  But  then  again  :  you  Avill 
readily  understand  that  this  incident,  trifling  as  it  was  in 
itself,  was  well  calculated  to  add  new  fuel  to  the  fever 
that  was  raging  within  me. 

"  I  could  not  expect  her  back  before  the  following  day. 
How  I  survived  the  intervening  hours  will  always  remain 
a  mystery  to  me.  I  was  incapable  of  any  occupation,  of 
any  connected  thought  or  action.  I  had  just  sufficient 
strength  and  reason  left  to  sit  by  the  side  of  the  poor, 
feverish  child,  and  apply  the  ice-bandages,  and  count  the 
hairs  on  its  forehead. 

"Even  when  night  came  I  would  not  leave  my  post. 
I  dreaded  to  dream.  Then  came  the  morning  again,  and 
noon  and  afternoon,  and  still  no  news.  But  at  length  a 
drosky  drove  up,  the  house-door  was  opened,  the  stairs 
creaked  under  a  light  step,  I  sprang  to  my  feet  and  rushed 
to  meet  her  ;  just  then  she  entered  the  door,  and  ray  first 
look  in  her  face  strengthened  all  my  horrible  suspicions. 

"  Or  no  ;  it  was  not  her  face.  I  have  no  right  to  do 
this  actress  an  injustice  j  she  had  her  face  as  completely 


IN    PARADISE.  217 

under  control  as  ever— the  innocent  violet  eyes,  the  Ma- 
donna mouth,  the  clear  forehead — and  yet  it  was  her  face 
that  sent  a  shudder  to  my  inmost  heart.  Was  that  the 
mien  of  a  mother,  hastening  to  her  child  that  lay  at  the 
door  of  death  ?  of  a  wife  returning,  after  such  anxious 
weeks  of  separation,  to  the  husband  whom  she  pretended 
to  have  married  for  love  ? 

"  Enough  !  The  fate  of  our  lives  was  decided  in  the 
first  few  hours.  But  I  was  crafty  too,  and  played  my 
role  bravely.  That  we  should  refrain  from  all  demon- 
strations of  tenderness,  while  our  child  lay  in  such  dan- 
ger, was  so  natural — she  herself  could  find  nothing  wrong 
in  this.  But  on  the  following  morning,  after  the  night 
had  brought  a  change  for  the  better  and  we  were  able  to 
breathe  freely  once  more,  she  said  to  me — and  I  can  see 
her  before  me  now,  as  she  knelt  at  a  trunk  and  turned 
over  the  gay  contents  trying  to  find  a  comfortable  dress 
to  put  on,  for  she  had  not  taken  off  her  clothes  during 
the  night — '  Do  you  know,  Hans,'  she  said,  looking  up  at 
me  with  her  dove-like  eyes,  half  petulantly,  half  plead- 
ingly, '  do  you  know  that  it  isn't  at  all  nice  of  you  not  to 
have  paid  me  a  single  compliment  upon  how  well  I  am 
looking  ?  I  left  a  gallant  husband,  and  find  a  cold-hearted 
bear.  Come,  as  a  punishment,  I  will  let  you  kiss  this 
little  slipper,  that  I  might  have  put  on  the  neck  of  the 
whole  male  population  of  the  island  if  I  had  wanted  to.' 

" '  Lucie,'  said  I,  '  I  want  first  to  make  a  request  of 
yo:i.' 

"  '  About  what  ? '  asked  she,  innocently. 

" '  That  you  will  swear  to  me,  by  the  life  of  our  child, 
that  it  is  only  a  devilish  delusion,  sprung  from  my  jealous 
dreams,  that  makes  me  think  you  do  not  come  back  to  me 
what  you  were  when  you  went  away,' 


218  I-y    PARADISE. 

"  I  had  arranged  this  sentence  word  for  word,  just  as 
one  loads  with  the  greatest  care  a  gun  with  which  one 
wants  to  take  sure  aim.  And  I  did  not  miss  the  mark. 
She  suddenly  flushed  purple,  bent  down  her  head  over  the 
trunk,  and  fumbled  nervously  with  the  heap  of  sashes  and 
scarfs. 

"  But  she  quickly  recovered  herself. 

"  '  You  have  had  bad  dreams  ? '  she  asked,  still  quite 
unabashed.     '  What  did  you  dream,  then  ? ' 

"  And  I  replied  :  '  That  you  had  been  unfaithful  to 
me.  It  is  nonsense  ;  I  know  that  you  can  give  me  back 
my  peace  by  a  single  word.  But,  unless  you  speak  this 
word — did  you  understand  me,  Lucie?  By  the  life  of 
our  child,  who  lies  there  barely  escaped  from  death — I 
only  want  to  hear  one  word.  I  cannot  reproach  myself 
with  any  neglect  of  my  duty  toward  you.  Do  you  hear 
me,  Lucie  ?  AVhy  don't  you  answer  me  ?  Can't  you  bear 
my  look  ? ' 

"  She  actually  succeeded  in  forcing  herself  to  look  at 
me,  but  there  was  not  the  flash  of  innocent  pride,  of  of- 
fended womanly  honor  ;  it  was  an  unsteady,  flickering 
defiance,  and  the  flaring  up  of  a  hostile  feeling,  that  I  read 
in  her  eyes. 

"  '  I  have  no  answer  to  such  a  question,'  said  she,  with 
a  gesture  that  carried  me  back  to  the  time  when  she  was 
on  the  stage.  '  You  insiilt  me,  Hans.  Let  us  talk  about 
something  else.  I  will  pardon  you  for  the  child's  sake, 
and  because  of  the  anxiety  you  have  been  sufi'ering.' 

"  I  was  still  so  under  her  influence  that  I  hesitated  for 
a  moment  whether  to  mistrust  the  voice  in  my  heart,  or 
this  serpent  look.  She  had  risen,  and  was  standing  at  the 
window,  her  face  turned  away  and  her  hand  before  her 
eyes,  such  a  picture  of  insulted  majesty  and  innocence 


IN    PARADISE.  219 

that  I  already  began  to  cui'se  my  heat,  and  to  accuse  my- 
self of  having  done  the  greatest  injustice  and  "WTong  that 
can  be  done  to  a  helpless  woman.  But  just  as  I  was  on 
the  point  of  going  up  to  her  and  trying  the  power  of  kind 
words,  I  heard  ray  dog  give  a  strange  sort  of  a  growl  and 
bark,  as  if  he  were  angry  and  provoked;  for  which  I  could 
see  no  reason.  He  did  not  like  the  woman.  Either  she 
had  never  known  how,  or  else  she  had  never  thought  it 
worth  while,  to  gain  his  favor.  But  heretofore  he  had 
seemed  to  feel  the  greatest  indifference  toward  her,  and  I 
could  not  understand  why  her  offended  speech  and  bear- 
ing should  now  enrage  him.  The  truth  is  he  was  not 
paying  the  slightest  attention  to  her,  but  seemed  to  have 
been  excited  by  something  that  he  had  dragged  out  of 
the  pile  of  things  she  had  taken  from  her  trunk,  I  called 
out  to  him  to  lie  down  and  keep  quiet ;  he  was  still  in  a 
moment  ;  but,  wagging  his  tail  violently,  he  ran  up  to 
me,  holding  something  in  his  mouth  which  he  laid  on  my 
knee.     It  was  a  man's  glove. 

"  Can  you  believe  it  ? — my  first  feeling  at  the  sight  of 
this  evidence  was  a  wild  joy  and  satisfaction.  I  was  sud- 
denly at  one  with  myself  again,  and  the  wi'etched  feeling 
of  shame  that  perhaps  after  all  I  had  let  my  suspicious 
heat  get  the  better  of  my  reason,  gave  place  to  an  icy 
calmness. 

"  '  If  you  would  only  turn  round,'  I  said,  '  perhaps  you 
would  sjDcak  in  a  different  tone.  Without  knowing  it  or 
wishing  it,  you  have  brought  me  a  present  from  your  jour- 
ney for  which  I  ought  to  thank  you.' 

"  As  she  turned  round,  even  she  was  not  actress  enough 
to  repress  a  gesture  of  terror. 

" '  I  swear  to  you — '  she  stammered,  pale  as  death. 

" '  Very  good,'  I  said  ;  *  that  is  precisely  what  I  have 


220  I^^    PARADISE. 

been  asking  you  to  do.  But — do  you  hear? — consider 
well  what  you  swear  and  by  what  you  swear  it.  By  the 
life  of  the  innocent  creature  lying  in  that  chamber,  by 
that  God  who  visits  the  sins  of  the  fathers  upon  the  chil- 
dren unto  the  third  and  fourth  generation — ' 

" '  I  don't  know  Avhat  you  mean — I — I  have  done  no 
wrong  and  have  no  need  to  swear.  This  glove,  Heaven 
knows — ' 

"  *  Heaven  does  know  ! '  I  shrieked,  my  smouldering 
rage  breaking  out  furiously. 

"  I  reached  out  my  hand  toward  her ;  everything 
reeled  before  my  eyes  ;  I  have  no  further  recollection  of 
what  I  said  and  did  at  that  moment,  except  that  I  was 
very  near  seizing  her  by  her  long  locks,  as  in  my  dream, 
and  dragging  her  across  the  room  and  down  the  stairs, 
and  casting  her  out  into  the  street.  I  am  sure,  however, 
that  I  did  not  touch  her,  but  my  looks  and  words  must 
have  been  so  relentless  and  unmistakable  that  she  her- 
self found  it  advisable  to  leave  me.  Half  an  hour  later  I 
was  alone  again  Avith  my  child. 

"  That  very  day  I  received  a  letter  from  her,  full  of 
well-turned  periods  and  insidious  accusations.  I  read  it 
without  emotion.  I  was  like  a  well  that  has  been  choked 
forever — nothing  can  make  its  water  bubble  up  again.  I 
answered  this  letter  with  a  single  word — '  Swear  ! '  No 
second  letter  came  ;  a  last  remnant  of  human  feeling, 
sunk  deep  in  superstition,  made  it  impossible  for  her  to 
utter  a  lie  that  might  be  revenged  upon  lier  child. 

"  I  waited  three  days.  Then  T  wTote  her  a  note  that 
contained  no  word  of  reproach,  but  simply  said  that  it 
would  be  impossible  for  me  to  share  my  life  with  her 
longer.  I  told  her  I  would  provide  for  her  as  I  had  done 
heretofore,  under  the  single  condition  that  she  would  take 


IN    PARADISE.  221 

iier  maiden  name  again  and  never  make  any  claim  upon 
the  child.  When  I  wrote  this — I  can't  help  confessing 
my  foolishness  to  you — something  within  me  said,  '  She 
will  never  consent  to  this  condition.  She  will  come  and 
fall  at  your  feet,  with  a  full  confession  of  her  guilt,  and 
pray  you  rather  to  kill  her  than  to  separate  her  from  her 
child.'  Then  —  what  might  I  not  have  done  then?  —  it 
makes  me  shudder  to  think  of  it.  I  almost  believe  I 
should  have  pardoned  her — and  been  wretched  ever  after, 
with  my  honor  wounded  and  my  confidence  shaken  at 
the  very  roots.  But  I  had  loved  her  too  dearly  for  me 
to  become  master  of  my  weakness  so  quickly. 

"  She  spared  me  the  temptation.  In  a  few  days  her 
answer  came  ;  she  refrained  from  making  any  explana- 
tions, which  she  knew  would  never  be  satisfactory  to  a 
person  so  inclined  to  be  suspicious  as  I  was.  Great  God  ! 
I  suspicious — I,  whom  a  lie  would  have  quieted  again ! 
She  accepted  what  I  had  proposed  to  her,  intended  to  re- 
turn to  the  stage — for  which  she  was  undoubtedly  bom — 
thanked  me  for  all  the  goodness  I  had  shown  her,  hoped 
all  would  go  well  with  me,  and  much  more — a  letter  well 
written,  friendly,  and  icy  cold. 

"  Not  a  syllable  was  said  about  the  child  ! " 


CHAPTER    II. 

He  had  thrown  himself  down  on  a  lounge  that  stood 
near  the  door,  and  his  head  sank  on  his  breast.  For  a 
long  time  he  remained  in  this  position  apparently  forget- 
ting where  he  was,  and  to  whom  he  had  been  telling  his 
dreary,  melancholy  story. 


222  IN    PARADISE. 

The  dog  rose  up,  and,  with  a  singularly  wistful  ex- 
pression in  his  eyes,  went  to  the  side  of  his  master,  who 
now  roused  himself  with  an  effort,  and  made  as  though 
he  would  take  his  departure. 

But  Julie  did  not  change  her  position,  nor  look  at  him, 
but  merely  said  in  her  soft  voice  : 

"  "What  must  you  have  suffered  !  "  Then,  after  a  mo- 
ment's pause,  she  went  on  :  "  And  you  have  never  seen 
her  since  ?  " 

"No.  I  only  waited  until  the  child  had  recovered 
sufficiently  to  bear  the  journey.  Then  I  broke  loose  from 
all  that  held  me  there,  and  came  to  this  city.  Here  I 
might  be  a  new  man — or  so  I  sometimes  imagined  when 
I  did  not  think  of  the  past.  Yes,  the  doctors  are  right — 
a  change  of  air  will  work  wonders.  Do  you  suppose  it 
was  in  the  slightest  degree  hard  for  me  to  set  up  my 
'  saint-factory  ? '  I  merely  did  it  so  that  I  might  be  safe 
from  all  dunning  letters,  and  might  send  the  stipulated 
and  very  considerable  sum,  every  quarter,  to  our  inter- 
mediary in  Hamburg.  In  this  way  I  freed  myself  from 
importunities,  and  consoled  myself  with  the  thought  that 
a  man  need  not  scruple  as  to  how  he  earns  money  that  is 
going  to  pay  for  his  own  shame.  A  fortunate  man,  one 
who  lives  openly  and  uprightly,  has  a  right  to  give  him- 
self up  to  that  noblest  of  all  luxuries,  the  luxury  of  sac- 
rificing himself  to  his  convictions.  If  I  had  had  a  wife 
with  a  pure  and  noble  soul,  then  it  would  have  been  glo- 
rious to  have  accepted  even  poverty  and  want  in  order  to 
remain  true  to  my  ideals,  and  never  to  have  moved  a  finger 
except  in  the  service  of  true  art.  But  as  it  was — a  broken 
man,  a  disgraced  life — that  very  stolidity  that  helped  me 
to  bear  my  fate  alone,  dulled  my  susceptibility  to  all  that 
was  base  in  my  money-getting.    It  was  all  one,  after  all. 


IN    PARADISE.  223 

"  And  yet,  for  all  that,  the  old  defiance,  the  old  peas- 
ant's pride  was  not  quite  dead  in  me  even  now.  One  day, 
in  the  midst  of  my  work,  the  thought  came  over  me — 
'  What  is  she  doing  now  ? — who  is  with  her  ? '  Then  I 
sprang  to  my  feet  as  if  I  had  been  stung  by  an  adder,  and 
immediately  sat  down  and  wrote  to  her  that  I  thought  it 
would  be  more  dignified  and  better  for  us  both  to  cut  the 
last  wretched  bond  that  held  us  together,  so  that  she 
might  have  full  freedom.  I  added  that  I  would  provide 
for  her  all  the  same,  if  she  would  only  consent  to  a  legal 
separation.  I  was  not  ashamed  to  humiliate  myself  so 
far  as  to  beg  her  to  do  this.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  the 
happiness  of  my  future  life  depended  upon  my  accom- 
plishing this  end. 

"  She  kept  me  waiting  for  an  answer  for  more  than  a 
fortnight.  Then  she  wrote  that  she  could  only  yield  to 
my  request  if  I  would  give  up  the  child  to  her.  Who 
dictated  this  answer  for  her,  I  do  not  know.  Certainly 
not  her  heart. 

"  Give  the  child  into  her  hands  !  I  would  rather  have 
caught  it  up  like  a  kitten,  and  thrown  it  into  the  sea  !  I 
had  found  a  family  here — good,  honest  people — to  whose 
care  I  could  intrust  it,  and  with  whose  children  it  is  grow- 
ing up.  I  myself  have  a  room  under  the  same  roof. 
When  I  come  home  of  an  evening,  I  only  need  to  open 
the  door  a  little  to  see  the  little  motherless  thing  asleep 
in  its  bed.  But  on  Sunday  I  either  stay  at  home  in  the 
afternoon,  or  take  a  drive  or  a  walk  with  it  to  some  place 
where  I  am  sure  of  not  meeting  any  curious  acquaint- 
ances, who  might  ask  me  whose  child  it  is.  I  pass  in 
the  city  for  unmarried.  But,  for  some  time  past,  I  have 
been  led  to  suspect  that  I  have  an  enemy  who  is  deter- 
mined I  shall  not  bear  that  character  any  longer.    Lucie's 


224  /jv  paradise. 

mother  appeared  here  a  year  or  two  ago.  Had  I  known 
this  woman  before  my  mamage,  I  might  perhaps  have 
been  warned  not  to  trust  those  violet  eyes.  She  has  some 
hidden  object  for  being  here  ;  she  follows  all  my  move- 
ments— I  know  that  she  wishes  me  ill — that  letter  to  you 
confirms  it.  But,  perhaps,  it  was  better  so.  The  letter 
that  I  wrote  to  you  last  night,  who  knows  whether  I 
should  have  had  the  courage  to  send  it  to-day  ?  And  yet, 
every  hour  longer  that  I  kept  you  in  the  dark  would  have 
been  a  reproach  to  me.     And  now — " 

"  I  have  a  great  favor  to  ask  of  you,"  she  suddenly 
interrupted. 

"Julie,  what  could  you  ask  that  I  would  not  joy- 
fully—" 

"  I  would  love  so  dearly  to  see  the  child.  Will  you 
bring  it  to  me  ?  or  will  you  go  there  with  me  ?  " 

He  took  a  step  toward  her  ;  now,  for  the  first  time,  he 
ventured  to  look  her  in  the  face.  She  rose  and  went  for- 
ward to  meet  him. 

"Dear  friend,"  she  said,  "I  must  know  this  child. 
No  matter  how  well  it  may  be  taken  care  of  where  it  is, 
it  is  and  always  will  be  motherless.  It  can  only  find  a 
mother  again  in  her  who  loves  the  father  more  than  all 
else,  and  who  would  take  to  her  heart  all  tliat  belongs  to 
him.  Do  you  not  see  that  you  must  bring  the  child  to 
me?" 

"  Julie  !  "  he  cried,  in  a  tone  that  burst  from  his  inner- 
most heart,  just  as  when  a  dreamer  Avith  a  loud  cry  shakes 
off  the  nightmare  that  is  so  suffocating  him.  He  stag- 
gered toward  her,  and  tried  to  seize  her  hand  ;  but  she 
drew  back  a  step,  shook  her  head  gently,  and  said,  with 
a  blush : 

"  Listen  patiently  to  what  I  am  going  to  say,  or  else 


IN    PARADISE.  225 

it  will  be  hard  for  me  to  control  myself  and  find  the 
words.  The  sad  story  you  have  just  told  me  has  given 
me  a  great  deal  to  think  of  ;  I  have  not  yet  clearly  fixed 
it  in  my  mind.  But  one  thing  is  already  clear  to  me  : 
that  nothing  in  your  past  life  can  ever  separate  me  from 
you.  On  the  contrary,  I  have  been  continually  testing 
my  feeling  during  your  confession,  and  have  found  that 
I  love  you  now  even  more  wholly  than  I  did  yesterday, 
and  that  I  know  better  why  I  love  you,  if  this  is  not  a 
senseless  thing  to  say.  My  heart  is  old  enough  to  be 
wise,  and  to  know  why  it  loves  any  one,  though  my  head 
is  not  quite  so  ready.  And  so,  my  dearest  friend,  I  now 
seriously  declare  to  you,  I  have  not  the  slightest  intention 
of  ceasing  to  love  you  because  so  and  so  many  years  ago 
you  made  the  mistake  of  believing  another  human  being 
to  be  better  than  she  really  was.  I  will  go  still  further  : 
you  shall  not  cease  to  love  me  either,  unless  you  made  a 
second  mistake  yesterday,  Avhich  I  confess  would  be  much 
more  painful  to  me  than  that  first  one." 

She  did  not  succeed  in  uttering  these  last  words,  for, 
overwhelmed  with  joy,  Jansen  had  seized  her  in  his  arms. 
He  held  her  long  in  this  embrace,  until  at  last  she  recov- 
ered breath  enough  to  beg  for  her  release. 

"  No,  no,"  she  said,  as  she  gently  freed  herself,  "  do 
not  do  so,  dear,  or  I  will  take  it  all  back  again  ;  for  you 
and  I  are  not  to  be  spared  our  time  of  trial.  Sit  down 
here  opposite  me  like  a  sensible  man,  and  let  go  my  hands 
and  try  to  understand  all  that  I  have  to  say  to  you. 
You  see,  your  sweetheart  is  no  longer  young,  and  much 
too  experienced  and  worldly  not  to  keep  her  senses  about 
her,  and  think  for  two  even  at  such  a  time,  hard  as  it  may 
be.  I  will  not  retract  a  word  of  what  I  just  confessed — 
that  I  will  not  relinquish  the  happiness  of  feeling  myself 
15 


226  I^    PARADISE. 

to  belong  to  you,  because  you  are  not  yet  free.  I  love 
you  all  the  more  dearly  for  what  I  now  know,  for  the 
delicacy  with  which  you  have  tried  to  spare  her  who  has 
so  cruelly  wounded  you ;  for  the  fact  that  you  have  not 
sought,  even  at  the  cost  of  a  public  trial,  to  break  the 
bond  that  holds  you  together  ;  for  the  affection  that  has 
grown  up  within  you  for  your  child,  so  that  you  do  not 
hesitate  to  sacrifice  your  liberty  for  its  sake.  Whether 
this  sacrifice  is  necessary  Ave  will  consider  more  fully. 
But  let  this  be  as  it  may,  let  human  justice  come  to  our 
aid  or  not  :  this  I  know,  that  from  this  time  forth  I  will 
devote  my  life  to  you,  that  I  could  no  longer  belong  to 
myself  even  if  I  tried.  Everything  else  seems  petty  be- 
side it,  and  there  must  be  some  place  in  the  world  where 
we  shall  find  our  happiness  in  one  another.  But  one  thing 
must  happen  first ;  you  must  learn  to  know  me  thor- 
oughly. Do  not  smile  and  say  needless  things  that  I 
know  beforehand.  You  really  do  not  know  me  as  I  am, 
or  as  I  know  you,  because  I  have  seen  your  art  and  know 
your  life,  and  more  especially  because  I,  as  a  woman  who 
has  been  looking  at  the  world  for  thirty-one  years,  know 
human  nature  much  better  than  a  man  like  you,  who  have 
the  additional  disadvantage  of  being  an  artist,  and  there- 
fore blinded  by  a  touch  of  beauty.  Do  you  not  see  that 
in  ten  years  I  shall  be  an  old  woman,  no  longer  like  your 
Eve,  and  then  what  would  you  think  of  me,  unless  my 
inner  being  Avas  necessary  to  your  life  and  worthy  of  your 
love  and  constancy  ?  And  for  that  reason  you  must  re- 
solve to  let  a  barrier  remain  between  us  for  a  whole  year 
yet.  You  may  be  sure  it  has  cost  me  a  hard  struggle  to 
lay  such  a  condition  on  myself  ;  we  have  already  lost  so 
many  happy  years  of  youth.  It  seems  cruel  that,  in  ad- 
dition to  all  this,  we  must  have  a  long  engagement.     But 


IN    PARADISE.  227 

the  more  dearly  I  love  you,  and  wretched  as  I  should  be 
if  you  did  not  stand  the  test,  the  more  bravely  I  must  and 
will  adhere  to  my  resolution.  Then,  besides,  have  I  not 
to  win  your  child's  heart,  so  that  it  will  not  draw  back, 
as  from  a  stranger,  from  her  whom  it  is  to  call  mother  ?  " 

She  gazed  in  his  face  with  a  look  of  the  deepest  faith 
and  tenderness,  and  reached  him  her  hand  across  the  table 
at  which  they  were  both  sitting.  He  grasped  it  so  tightly 
that  she  smilingly  tried  to  withdraw  it  again. 

"  PerhajDS  you  are  right,"  said  he,  seriously.  "  At  all 
events  I  think  you  understand  all  these  things  far  better 
than  I  do,  for  to  tell  the  truth,  I  am  still  so  stunned  ^vith 
the  thought  of  this  happiness,  that  you  could  make  me 
consent  to  anything  you  asked.  Good  God  !  with  what 
a  heart  I  came  in  that  door — a  doomed  man,  a  lost  wretch 
— and  now,  and  always — " 

He  was  just  on  the  point  of  starting  up  again — the 
place  at  her  feet  which  the  dog  had  occupied  seemed  to 
have  an  attraction  for  him — when  they  heard  old  Erich's 
voice  in  the  front  parlor,  saying  to  some  one,  in  its  driest 
tone,  that  his  mistress  was  not  at  home  for  anybody  to- 
day, 

"  ISTot  even  for  me  ?  "  queried  this  some  one.  "  I  must 
hear  her  say  so  herself  before  I  will  believe  it." 

"  Angelica  !  "  cried  Julie.  "  We  ought  not  to  shut 
out  this  dear  creature  from  our  happiness." 

She  sprang  up  and  hastened  out  before  her  friend — to 
whom  any  third  person  was  hateful  at  such  a  moment — 
could  make  any  objection. 

"  Don't  be  afraid  of  him  !  "  she  cried,  leading  the  as- 
tonished Angelica  into  the  room  triumphantly.  "It  is 
true  he  is  a  perfect  Berserker,  and  not  a  good  man  to 
quarrel  with.     But  for  that  very  reason  you  must  take 


228  ly    PARADISE. 

my  part  against  him.  Two  staid  women  of  our  age  ought 
to  have  no  difficulty  in  controlling  such  a  violent  man. 
And  isn't  it  your  duty  to  help  me  out  of  the  trouble  into 
which  you  got  me  yourself?  Dear  Jansen,  do  not  put 
on  such  an  angry  face  !  Tell  this  dear,  good,  astonished 
friend  that  we  are  resolved,  in  all  seriousness,  never  again 
to  lose  sight  of  one  another  after  having  been  brought 
together  in  so  strange  a  way,  thanks  to  art  and  to  this 
excellent  artist,  whom  we  will  not  leave  without  her  re- 
ward ! " 

There  was  nothing  left  for  Jansen  but  to  make  the 
best  of  the  matter,  and  say  a  few  friendly  words  to  An- 
gelica. But  his  whole  soul  was  in  such  commotion  that 
he  soon  relapsed  into  a  state  of  absentmindedness.  He 
listened  with  half  an  ear  to  what  his  beloved  was  saying 
to  Angelica,  who  did  not  sustain  her  part  of  the  conver- 
sation very  well,  and  who  uttered  none  of  those  bright 
sayings  with  which  she  was  generally  so  ready.  That 
the  two  women  friends  should  take  up  their  quarters  to- 
gether ;  that  the  visits  of  the  fiance  should  only  take 
place  on  certain  days  and  in  her  own  presence  ;  that,  for 
the  present  at  least,  they  would  not  disclose  the  great 
event  even  to  their  most  intimate  friends  in  "  Paradise  " — 
all  this  and  more  was  discussed,  the  burden  of  the  con- 
versation falling  almost  entirely  on  Julie.  A  certain 
lightheartedness  had  taken  possession  of  her,  such  as  her 
friend  had  never  seen  her  show  before.  She  insisted  upon 
Jansen  and  Angelica  taking  breakfast  with  her,  and  played 
the  part  of  hostess  most  charmingly.  Jansen  followed 
every  movement  she  made,  as  if  he  were  attracted  by  a 
magnet ;  and  was  caught  more  than  once  returning  the 
most  irrelevant  answers. 

At  last,  when  he  really  had  to  go — it  was  already  past 


IN    PARADISE.  229 

noon,  but  no  one  had  taken  any  heed  of  the  time — An- 
gelica too  rose  in  great  haste. 

*'  I  will  go  on  ahead,"  said  she  ;  "  lovers  don't  go 
through  with  their  leave-takings  quite  as  quickly  as  we 
single  people." 

But  Julie  detained  her.  She  merely  gave  Jansen  her 
hand  to  kiss,  and  closed  the  door  behind  him.  Then  she 
fell  on  her  friend's  neck  and  kissed  her,  her  eyes  over- 
flowing with  tears. 

"  Forgive  me  my  happiness  !  "  she  whispered.  "  It  is 
so  great  I  am  almost  afraid  of  it,  as  though  I  had  stolen 


a  ci'own 


!" 


"  What  a  child  you  are  ! "  said  the  artist,  bending 
over  her  and  blushing.  "  I  told  you  how  it  would  be — 
though  really  I  was  not  so  reckless  as  you  have  been.  To 
love  this  man  just  as  one  would  any  ordinary  mortal,  to 
take  him  to  your  heart  in  this  sudden  fashion — well,  I 
must  say,  I  admire  your  courage.  It  is  true  you  are  a 
perfectly  charming  piece  of  human  nature,  from  top  to 
toe,  and  can  do  things  other  folks  can't.  Now,  such  mis- 
erable institutions  as  we  common  people  are,  mere  images 
of  God  in  gouache  or  water-color — well,  we  have  to  be 
sensible,  at  all  hazards,  unless  we  would  bring  down  ridi- 
cule as  well  as  injury  upon  our  heads.  Addio,  cava ! 
Iddio  ti  henedica  !  "  and  with  these  words  she  rushed  out 
of  the  door. 


CHAPTER    III. 

It  was  close  upon  midnight  when  Rosenbusch,  with  a 
heavy  sigh,  shut  the  little  sketch-book  in  which  he  had 
been  scribbling  verses  on  the  empty  leaves  between  por- 


230  ^^    PARADISE. 

traits  of  horses'  her.ds  and  studies  of  costumes  and  armor, 
and  proceeded  to  drink  off  the  last  drops  of  his  red  Wiir- 
temberg  wine.  For  more  than  three  hours  he  had  been 
sitting  in  the  same  place  in  the  corner  of  a  quiet  little 
beer-house,  where  few  of  the  regular  guests  were  to  be 
found  to-day  on  account  of  the  beautiful  weather  outside, 
and  where  those  who  were  present  were  fully  occupied 
with  their  customary  drink.  It  would  not  be  very  hard 
to  divine  what  had  led  our  friend  hither.  First  of  all,  the 
certainty  of  not  meeting  any  one  whom  he  knew.  Then, 
probably,  an  unconscious  attraction  in  the  name.  The 
landlord  of  this  little  wine-room  bore  the  name  of  the 
first  man,  and  it  is  probable  that  one  who  had  just  been 
driven  from  Paradise  felt  a  strong  inclination  to  go  and 
console  himself  with  another  Adam  over  the  common  fate 
of  the  race.  In  this  object  he  seemed  to  have  been  won- 
derfully successful,  partly  because  of  the  innocent  power 
of  the  red  Wlirtemberger,  of  which  this  desperate  man 
had  managed  to  empty  four  Schoppen  ;  partly  because  of 
the  soothing  influence  of  the  muses. 

"What  Rosenbusch  had  wi'itton  in  his  sketch-book  had 
been  a  melancholy  strain  ;  a  sad  lament  over  the  misap- 
preciation  of  the  world,  its  hardhearted  realism,  its  effect 
upon  his  own  fate,  and,  finally,  over  his  own  desperate 
love  affair. 

Any  one  who  knew  how  to  read  poems  might  easily 
have  derived  from  this  one  the  consolation  that  the  au- 
thor's life  was  in  no  immediate  danger  from  the  stunning 
blows  which  had  fallen  upon  it.  The  truth  is  he  belonged 
to  those  delicately-strung,  romantic  souls,  who  consider  it 
almost  a  moral  duty  to  suffer  continually  from  some  gen- 
tle inflammation  of  the  heart  or  fantasy.  But  the  more 
chronic  their  state  becomes,  the  less  dangerous  it  is,  as  a 


IN    PARADISE.  231 

general  rule.  Unfortunately,  in  the  case  of  our  lyric  poet, 
there  was  another  circumstance  which  tended  greatly  to 
increase  the  unpleasantness  of  his  situation.  Though,  by 
temperament,  he  was  little  inclined  to  passionate  catas- 
trophes, he  felt,  on  the  other  hand,  a  certain  abstract 
craving  for  action,  which  made  it  impossible  for  him 
to  be  content  with  looking  on  at  life  from  a  distance. 
A  certain  lack  of  physical  courage  —  for  he  was  of  a 
slender,  nervous  build — made  him  feel  it  incumbent  on 
him  to  exercise  so  much  the  more  moral  boldness,  and  to 
carry  a  fancy,  which  another  would  have  quickly  put 
aside — for  it  had  not  really  taken  a  very  strong  hold  on 
him — to  some  romantic  end,  or  to  illustrate  it  by  some 
adventurous  enterprise.  This  love  of  denouements  had 
generally  turned  out  so  badly  for  him  that  he  might  well 
have  been  discouraged  ;  his  friends  told  the  most  comical 
stories  of  what  he  had  suffered  in  this  way.  But  in  spite 
of  all  this,  he  had  just  taken  the  most  audacious  step  of 
his  life,  with  the  deliberate  intention  of  doing  something 
at  the  same  time  chivalrous  and  practical.  He,  who 
barely  lived  from  hand  to  mouth,  had  seriously  appeared 
as  a  suitor  in  the  house  of  a  worthy  citizen  of  the  good 
old  Munich,  type,  entirely  incapable  of  taking  a  joke  in 
such  a  matter.  Why  matters  had  been  pushed  to  such 
an  extreme  in  this  particular  case,  he  himself  would  have 
found  it  hard  to  say.  For  a  long  time  the  aif air  had  run  the 
usual  course  ;  first,  stolen  glances  were  interchanged  from 
window  to  window,  across  the  narrow  alley  ;  then  came 
the  first  tributes  of  homage  in  the  shape  of  little  notes  in 
verse,  surreptitiously  delivered,  and  flowery  contributions 
to  the  Munich  daily  paper,  the  Latest  JSTeios.  These  ef- 
fusions were  accompanied  by  much  lurking  about  the 
streets,  which  eventually  resulted  in  the  formation  of  the 


232  IN    PARADISE. 

desired  acquaintance,  and  ended  in  a  bold  confession  of 
love  under  the  "  dark  arches  "  of  the  Marienplatz.  With 
all  her  blushing  and  laughing,  and  nods  and  glances,  the 
dear  child  had  managed  to  draw  the  line  so  skillfully  that 
she  appeared  to  refuse  his  attentions  as  little  as  she  ap- 
peared to  encourage  them.  She  treated  the  whole  matter 
as  a  joke,  as  something  to  be  laughed  over,  but  never  for 
one  moment  to  be  regarded  in  a  serious  light.  That  the 
good-looking,  dashing,  gallant  painter  found  favor  in  the 
eyes  of  his  pretty  neighbor  could  not  be  exactly  denied. 
She  even  went  so  far  once  as  to  entreat  him  to  keep  up 
his  flute  practice  diligently.  She  never  fell  asleep  so  com- 
fortably as  when  he  was  sending  forth  some  really  heart- 
rending melody.  For  the  rest  she  knew  very  well  what 
to  expect  of  artists,  and  she  had  no  doubt  but  what  he 
had  copied  the  beautiful  poems  he  had  addressed  to  her 
from  some  book  or  other. 

Rosenbusch  felt  himself  rather  flattered  than  hurt  by 
these  doubts  ;  but  still  this  did  not  advance  matters  at 
all,  and  his  dramatic  instinct  for  fresh  excitement  and 
change  of  action  was  almost  in  danger  of  lagging  a  little, 
when  it  received  an  unexpected  impulse  from  another 
quarter.  He  discovered  a  secret  that  heretofore  had 
been  guarded  more  carefully  than  his  ow^n  ;  this  was  the 
hopeless  love  that  his  next-door  neighbor,  Elfinger,  enter- 
tained for  the  sister  of  his  sw^eetheart. 

He  felt  at  once  that  it  w^as  incumbent  upon  his  honor 
for  him  to  do  something  which  should  release  them  both 
from  this  state  of  unmanly  submission  to  their  fate,  and 
of  base  yearning  toward  the  house  of  a  Philistine,  and  at 
the  same  time  push  the  fortunes  of  his  friend.  If  he  him- 
self could  once  obtain  free  access  to  the  house  in  the 
character  of  fiance  to   the  worldly   daughter,    Elfinger 


IN    PARADISE.  233 

■would  have  no  difficulty  in  becoming  more  intimate  with 
her  spiritually-inclined  elder  sister,  and  would  undoubt- 
edly be  able  to  overcome  those  scruples  that  had  here- 
tofore prevented  this  singular  girl  from  accepting  any  of 
his  letters,  or  even  from  consenting  to  strike  up  an  ac- 
quaintance with  him  in  the  open  street. 

Confident  in  this  belief,  he  determined  upon  the  des- 
perate step  ;  and,  if  he  could  not  muster  up  sufficient 
courage,  after  the  miserable  termination  of  his  undertak- 
ing, to  return  to  his  friend  with  the  bad  news,  let  us  not 
think  any  the  worse  of  his  good  heart. 

Yet  we  must  confess  that,  as  far  as  he  himself  was 
concerned,  he  regarded  this  crushing  conclusion  to  the 
novel  as  beneficial  rather  than  lamentable.  He  had  done 
his  best,  had  displayed  uncommon  courage,  and  had 
shown  the  beautiful  being  how  serious  he  was  in  his  in- 
tentions ;  but  now  he  felt  that  he  had  a  right  to  rejoice 
in  peace  over  an  honorable  defeat  that  permitted  him  to 
go  on  setting  his  heart  on  everything  that  was  lovable 
and  unattainable.  When  at  last  he  stepped  out  of  the 
wine-room  into  the  square,  where  the  moonlight  shone 
full  upon  the  five  bronze  statues  standing  rigidly  in  their 
regular  rank  and  file,  a  feeling  of  infinite  satisfaction  stole 
over  him  ;  a  malicious  joy  that  he  could  wander  here  in 
flesh  and  blood  beneath  the  changing  moon  and  have  as 
many  love  affairs  as  he  liked,  while  these  celebrated  dig- 
nitaries stood  on  their  pedestals  unable  to  move  a  muscle. 
He  even  caught  himself  beginning  to  sing  in  a  loud  voice; 
but  a  moment  after  he  came  to  a  sudden  stop.  He  felt 
that  it  was  not  at  all  the  proper  thing  for  him  to  go  about 
bawling  merry  songs,  considering  the  mournful  mood  he 
ought  by  good  rights  to  be  in. 

So  he  composed  his   feelings,  and  wended  his  way 


234  I^    PARADISE. 

home  in  a  much  more  subdued  manner.  But  when  he 
reached  his  street,  and  saw  the  lights  in  Elfinger's  win- 
dow's blinking  down  at  him,  his  heart  quickly  sunk  into 
his  boots  again.  He  could  not  bring  himself  to  go  up  at 
this  dead  hour  of  the  night  and  confess  to  his  friend  how 
badly  the  affair  had  turned  out.  So  he  turned  swiftly 
upon  his  heel,  and,  taking  a  roundabout  way,  finally 
reached  his  studio,  where  he  knew  he  could  find  tolerable 
sleeping  quarters. 

The  janitor  opened  his  eyes  wide  when  he  was  knocked 
up  to  open  the  back-door  for  Herr  Rosenbusch.  The 
white  mice,  too,  quickly  sprang  up  from  their  pleasant 
dreams  of  biscuit  and  Swiss  cheese,  and  rubbed  their 
snouts  against  the  wire-netting  in  nervous  excitement ; 
for  they  recognized  their  master.  There  he  stood  in  the 
moonlight,  paying  no  attention  to  them,  firmly  planted 
before  the  battle  of  Lutzen.  He  gazed  at  it  for  a  M'hile 
in  silence  ;  then  he  felt  for  the  place  where  his  beard  was 
usually  to  be  found. 

"  You  are  no  fool,  after  all !  "  he  muttered  to  himself. 
"  If  you  had  never  painted  anything  but  that  black  charger 
there,  rearing  because  he  has  received  a  bullet  in  his 
neck —    Basta!    AncJi^  io  so7io  pittore  P'' 

Then  he  took  his  flute  out  of  its  case,  and  marched  up 
and  down  for  a  while  blowing  an  adagio,  in  order  to  dis- 
sipate the  fumes  of  the  red  Wiirtemberger.  At  length, 
when  he  felt  tired  enough,  he  rigged  up  a  bed  on  the  floor 
out  of  a  Swedish  saddle,  that  he  took  for  a  pillow,  a  sad- 
dle-blanket, said  to  have  been  used  by  Count  Piccolomini, 
and  a  tiger-skin  which  the  moths  had  eaten  until  it  looked 
like  a  variegated  geographical  chart,  but  which  was  popu- 
larly supposed  to  have  belonged  to  Froben,  the  Master  of 
the  Horse.     However  this  might  be,  it  served  to  make  a 


IN    PARADISE.  235 

softer  bed  for  the  tired  body  of  the  last  of  the  romantic 
battle-painters  ;  and  he  stretched  himself  upon  it  with  a 
sigh,  looked  out  once  more  on  the  moonlight  night,  and 
then  fell  into  a  deep  and  dreamless  sleep,  such  as  is  rarely 
granted  to  a  disappointed  lover. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Elfinger  had  been  sitting  up  late  into  the  night 
awaiting  the  return  of  his  friend,  until  at  last  he  was 
forced  to  admit  that  thei'e  could  be  no  doubt  but  what 
the  adventure  had  not  ended  very  gloriously.  He  fell 
asleep  with  a  heavy  heart,  for  his  last  hopes  were  now 
defeated. 

The  next  morning  he  crept  mournfully  down  to  the 
bank,  and  left  it  earlier  than  usual  under  some  pretext  or 
other.  He  hoped  to  find  Rosenbusch  at  home  at  last. 
But  the  little,  scantily  furnished,  untidy  chamber  of  the 
battle-painter  was  still  vacant. 

Could  he  have  done  something  desperate,  left  the  city 
or  even —  ? 

In  great  excitement,  for  he  loved  his  good  comrade 
heartily,  he  mounted  the  dark  stairs  for  the  second  time, 
after  the  close  of  his  evening  duties  at  his  desk.  He 
found  on  his  little  table  an  unmistakable  symbolical  sign 
that  his  friend  was  still  in  the  land  of  the  living.  A  large 
market-basket  stood  in  the  middle,  provided  with  a  long 
paper  label  such  as  they  put  on  medicine-bottles  j  and  on 
it  were  written  these  words  : 


236  I^    PARADISE. 

"a  remedy  for  breadless  artists. 

to  be  taken  according  to  the  necessities 

of  the  case, 

from  the  establishment  of 

the  leather  glove."  ' 

There  was  nothing  in  the  basket  but  the  sketch-book, 
in  which  the  soUtary  outcast  had  written  his  lamentations 
the  night  before. 

The  actor  had  not  yet  finished  reading  the  last  strophes 
when  the  door  opened,  and  Rosenbusch  solemnly  entered, 
with  such  an  indescribably  mournful  expression  upon  his 
face  that  it  was  impossible  to  look  at  him  without  laugh- 
ing. As  soon  as  he  saw  that  Elfinger  was  once  more 
capable  of  appreciating  the  humor  of  the  situation,  it  was 
easy  to  perceive  that  a  weight  was  lifted  from  his  heart. 
He  stepped  hastily  up  to  his  friend,  and,  giving  him  both 
his  hands,  cried  : 

"  Drink  to  the  lost,  0  stranger, 
And  pray  for  bis  poor  soul ! " 

the  final  words  of  his  own  verses. 

"  But  come,  brother,"  he  continued,  "  let  us  rise  supe- 
rior to  our  fate,  and  although  our  manly  spirit  may  not 
forbid  us  to  shed  a  tear — " 

"  So  it  is  all  over,  and  there  is  no  more  hope  ?  "  inter- 
rupted Elfinger,  shutting  up  the  sketch-book. 

"  Over  and  gone  forever  !  unless  I  should  change  my 
course  in  my  old  age  and  become  a  cattle-painter,  or 
should  crawl  back  into  the  womb  so  as  to  be  born  again 

'  The  Germans  say  "  to  get  the  basket,"  as  we  say  "  to  get  the  mit- 
ten."—  Translalor. 


IN    PARADISE.  237 

as  a  pupil  of  Piloty.  Just  conceive  it,  Roscius  !  Only 
yesterday,  hardly  an  hour  before  I  paid  my  visit  to  papa, 
this  brave  Theban  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  a  good 
friend  at  the  art-club,  who  had  stuffed  him  with  a  long 
account  of  the  wonderfully  flourishing  financial  condition 
of  art  in  our  good  city  of  Munich.  A  flock  of  sheep,  that 
had  just  been  sold  for  eight  thousand  gulden,  and  the 
vivisection  of  a  rabbit  by  some  Hungarian  or  Pole  whom 
that  magician  Piloty  had  developed  into  a  celebrated 
man  in  six  months,  and  whose  pictures  are  now  sold  for 
unheard-of  prices  before  they  leave  the  easel,  had  given 
the  two  Philistines  a  chance  to  air  their  aesthetics,  which 
are  as  irrefutable  as  mathematics.  Figures  show  this. 
The  export  of  painted  canvas  from  this  city,  which  has 
attained  a  gigantic  height  during  the  last  few  years,  even 
surpassing  the  export  of  tanned  leather,  could  not  but 
impress  even  Nanny's  unpoetical  father,  I  might  have 
carried  off  the  little  jewel  without  the  slightest  trouble  if 
I  could  only  have  shown  him  a  single  cow,  or  some  little 
historical  atrocity.  But  for  battles  there  was  'no  de- 
mand ' — eternal  peace  lay  before  us.  Kow  much  did  I 
make  a  year  out  of  my  old-fashioned  art  ?  Well — I  lied 
like  a  trooper,  and  mentioned  some  unheard  of  sum  for  a 
man  in  my  condition.  Whereupon  the  monster  laughed  : 
he  knew  an  animal-painter  who  had  made  double  that 
amount  from  a  single  sheep's-head,  in  which,  to  be  sure, 
you  could  distinctly  perceive  the  quality  of  the  wool  by 
looking  at  it  through  a  magnifying-glass.  It  was  then 
that  my  temperament  played  me  a  shabby  trick,  I  could 
not  resist  the  temptation  to  make  a  disrespectful  pun ' — 
one,  moreover,  that  was  much  too  obvious  to  make  it 

'  Of  course  a  play  on  Schafskopf  (sheep's-head),  the  German  phrase 
for  a  stupid  fool. — Translator. 


238  JN    PARADISE. 

worth  the  while — and  after  this  there  was  no  helping 
matters.  Unfortunately  we  could  distinctly  hear  a  burst 
of  laughter,  over  my  poor  joke  at  papa's  expense,  pro- 
ceeding from  the  adjoining  room.  The  author  of  it  had 
apparently  been  unable  to  withstand  her  maidenly  curi- 
osity, and  had  been  listening  to  all  that  had  been  said. 
But  I—" 

He  checked  himself  suddenly.  His  eyes  unconsciously 
wandered  to  the  windows  across  the  street,  and  what  he 
saw  there  caused  him  to  forget  the  end  of  his  report. 

A  most  charming  girl  made  her  aj^pearance  behind  the 
window-pane,  and  two  little  hands  could  be  seen  fastening 
a  little  straw-hat  firmly  on  the  brown  head  ;  then  the 
window  was  opened  and  the  sky  was  eagerly  scanned, 
apparently  in  order  to  find  out  whether  it  threatened  rain 
or  promised  to  be  fair.  At  the  window  to  the  left  a  slim 
figure  could  also  be  discerned,  as  it  shut  up  some  sewing 
in  the  drawer  of  the  little  work-table,  and  then  threw 
open  the  window  so  that  the  evening  air  might  benefit 
the  flowers.  But  while  the  mischievous  eyes  of  the 
younger  sister,  in  roving  merrily  about,  lighted  on  Ro- 
senbusch,  who  had  quickly  stepped  up  to  his  window, 
and  gave  him  a  stolen  glance  in  passing,  the  second  sister 
refrained  from  all  such  Avorldly  arts  and  immediately  dis- 
appeared from  the  window,  after  having  said  something 
to  the  younger  which  the  spy  opposite  could  not  under- 
stand, in  spite  of  the  windows  being  open. 

"  Elfinger,"  cried  the  painter,  "  it  was  a  wrong  conclu- 
sion after  all.  The  aifair  is  not  over  yet  by  any  means, 
and  I  am  willing  to  bet  that  the  chapter  we  have  just 
reached  won't  be  the  most  tiresome  one  in  this  great  sen- 
sational romance." 

He  quickly  dragged  his  astonished  friend,  who,  in  his 


IN    PARADISE.  239 

despondency,  could  not  understand  this  sudden  change  of 
mood,  out  of  the  door  and  down  into  the  street.  They 
stepped  out  of  the  house-door  just  as  the  two  sisters  over 
opposite  crossed  the  threshold  of  their  home,  both  mod- 
estly veiled,  and  carrying  little  black  j^rayer-books  in  their 
hands.  But,  before  they  turned  down  the  street  to  the 
right,  a  bright  smile  passed  over  the  face  of  the  younger 
one,  which  Rosenbusch  noted  through  her  veil  and  knew 
well  enough  how  to  interpret. 

"  Let's  wait  a  second,"  he  said.  "  "We'll  give  them  a 
little  stai't.  That  little  Philistine  is  a  perfect  witch  !  I 
wonder  where  she  got  it  from  !  " 

"  They  seem  to  be  going  to  church.  Is  there  any  open 
so  late  as  this  ?  " 

"  You  forget  that  this  good  city  of  Munich  is  called 
Monachum  monachoriim.  If  it's  too  late  for  vespers, 
then  it's  just  early  enough  for  a  vigil.  So  now — march  ! 
Otherwise  they  will  be  round  the  corner,  and  we  shall  lose 
track  of  them." 

It  was  still  light  in  the  street,  but  Sunday  evening  sets 
in  pretty  early  in  Munich,  especially  on  summer  days, 
when  a  hot  air  prevails  that  is  provocative  of  an  early 
thirst.  The  two  slight  girlish  figures  made  their  way 
through  the  throng  in  the  inner  town  as  skillfully  as  liz- 
ards, now  disappearing  from  the  gaze  of  their  faithful 
followers,  and  now  coming  into  view  again.  They  turned 
into  a  rather  broad  but  deserted  side-street,  in  which  stood 
an  insignificant  little  chapel,  scarcely  to  be  distinguished 
from  the  row  of  dwelling-houses,  though  it  had  the  repu- 
tation of  enjoying  the  special  protection  of  the  Virgin. 
A  slight  jutting  out  of  the  decorated  fa9ade  was  tlie  only 
thing  which  indicated  its  whereabouts,  just  as  a  well-to-do 
ecclesiastical  gentleman  going  about  in  the  midst  of  his 


£40  I^    PARADISE. 

flock  shows,  by  the  gentle  outward  curve  of  his  body,  that 
he  has  dedicated  his  life  to  contemplation,  and  to  thanks- 
giving for  all  the  good  gifts  of  Heaven. 

From  the  low  portal  of  this  out-of-the-way  little  church, 
which  was  guarded  by  a  plain  wooden  door,  a  dense  crowd 
of  worshipers  were  just  streaming  forth,  mostly  old 
women  and  shriveled-up  old  men,  and  a  few  early-con- 
verted sinners  with  faded  faces  and  restless  looks.  No 
sooner  did  they  come  out  into  the  street  than  most  of 
them  gave  themselves  up  to  the  refreshing  enjoyment  of 
fresh  air  and  cheerful  conversation — two  luxuries  which 
they  had  been  forced  to  dispense  with  inside.  Only  a 
few  wheezing  old  men  crept  along  alone,  counting  their 
beads  with  their  long  bony  fingers  as  they  went.  The 
pious  company  were  far  too  much  occupied  with  them- 
selves to  pay  any  attention  to  the  two  sisters,  who  now 
entered  the  deserted  sanctum.  It  was  dark  and  gloomy 
enough  within.  A  gaunt  fellow  in  a  white  surplice,  who 
figured  as  sacristan,  was  sleepily  engaged  in  putting  out 
the  candles  on  the  principal  altar,  with  a  rod  on  which 
was  fastened  an  extinguisher.  When  this  was  done,  he 
spread  a  covering  over  the  altar-cloth.  And  now  the 
fading  daylight  found  its  only  entrance  through  two 
arched  Avindows,  on  which  the  figures  of  the  Virgin  and 
Joseph  with  the  Child  stood  out  in  brilliant  red  and  blue. 
Over  opposite,  where  two  red  columns  of  porphyry  sup- 
ported the  organ-loft,  deep  darkness  had  already  settled 
doAvn,  but  faintly  broken  by  the  little  stumps  of  tapers 
before  which  a  few  tireless  suppliants  continued  to  read 
in  their  little  books,  though  the  regular  service  had  long 
since  come  to  an  end.  An  iron  stand,  with  prongs  and 
nails  with  the  sharp  ends  up,  also  bore  a  number  of  large 
and  small  wax-candles,  which  had  been  planted  there  by 


IN    PARADISE.  241 

the  devout  as  a  modest  offering,  A  reddish  light  from 
this  fragrant  candelabrum,  which  stood  before  one  of  the 
side  shrines,  fell  upon  the  numerous  crucifixes  and  silver 
votive  offerings  near  the  altars,  upon  the  artificial  flowers 
that  decorated  the  reliquaries,  and  upon  the  dilapidated 
finery  of  the  figure  of  the  Madonna  standing  at  the  feet 
of  her  crucified  Son.  It  had  a  singularly  weird  and  de- 
pressing effect — the  soft  crackling  of  the  lights,  the  sub- 
dued mumbling  from  those  toothless  lips,  the  snifling  and 
wheezing  of  the  kneeling  old  women,  and  the  peculiar 
smell  of  the  wax-tapers,  incense  and  snuff,  which  last  ar- 
ticle seemed  to  be  in  constant  use  to  prevent  the  devo- 
tional spirit  from  falling  into  a  doze. 

But  all  these  impressions,  which  at  first  almost  took 
away  the  breath  of  the  two  friends,  seemed,  from  long 
familiarity,  to  have  lost  all  power  over  the  sisters.  After 
sprinkling  themselves  with  holy-water  out  of  a  basin  near 
one  of  the  red  columns,  they  stepped  softly  up  to  the 
candelabrum,  and  each  fastened  her  little  taper  to  one  of 
the  sharp  points,  carefully  lighting  it  before  doing  so,  and 
then  returned  to  the  columns  and  knelt  down  in  two  of 
the  back  pews,  one  on  one  side  and  one  on  the  other  of 
the  middle  aisle. 

Both  appeared  to  be  immediately  absorbed  in  devo- 
tional exercises,  the  forehead  pressed  upon  the  open 
prayer-book,  the  little  hands  busied  with  the  beads  of 
their  rosaries.  But  they  could  hardly  have  had  time  to 
repeat  a  paternoster  before  the  places  at  their  side  were 
occupied  by  two  voluntary  participants  in  their  wor- 
ship. On  the  footstool  to  the  right,  next  the  startled 
Fanny,  knelt  Elfinger,  while  Rosenbusch  had  sunk  gently 
down  on  the  stool  on  the  other  side,  close  to  his  more 
worldly  sweetheart,  who  appeared  not  to  take  the  slight- 
16 


242  I^    PARADISE. 

est  notice  of  him.  The  muttering,  wheezing,  snuff-taking 
old  hags,  who  sat  about  here  and  there,  evidently  took  no 
offense  at  this  symmetrical  group,  which  quietly  busied 
itself  with  its  own  affairs  ;  and  only  a  round,  red-faced 
little  i^riest,  who  was  kneeling  before  his  own  taper  and 
reading  out  of  a  book,  with  his  spectacles  shoved  high  up 
on  his  forehead,  seemed  to  be  suddenly  disturbed  in  his 
perusal.  The  spectacles  quickly  slipped  down  upon  his 
nose,  and  his  little  eyes  strove  earnestly  to  pierce  the  dim 
light  that  played  about  the  two  red  columns. 

"  Are  you  really  in  earnest  ? "  whispered  Elfinger, 
bending  doT\Ti  close  to  the  ear  of  his  neighbor.  "  You 
really  want  to  turn  your  back  upon  this  beautiful  world 
and  bury  yourself  in  a  convent?  You,  so  young,  so 
charming,  so  well  fitted  to  be  happy  and  to  make  others 
happy." 

A  deep  sigh  was  the  only  response  he  received.  At 
the  same  time  she  almost  imperceptibly  hitched  her  stool 
about  half  an  inch  farther  away  from  the  speaker,  and 
buried  her  delicate  little  nose  still  deeper  in  her  prayer- 
book. 

"  Fraulein  Fanny,"  he  whispered,  after  a  pause,  "  what 
horrible  thing  have  you  seen  or  experienced  in  the  world 
that  has  made  you  already  weary  of  it  ?  Or  does  the  air 
here  in  this  house  of  prayer  seem  to  you  easier  to  breathe 
than  the  lovely  air  of  heaven  outside  ?  And  do  you  think 
you  will  find  a  convent  better  ventilated  than  this  place, 
and  filled  with  a  better  company  ?  " 

^^  Ave  Maria,  ora  pro  nobis,  nunc  et  in  hora — "  mur- 
mured the  girl,  making  the  sign  of  the  cross. 

"  And  do  you  think  I  will  be  put  off  in  this  way  ?  " 
whispered  Rosenbusch  to  his  neighbor.  "  Oh,  my  adored 
Fanny,  you  do  not  know  me !     If  painting  battles  does 


IN    PARADISE.  243 

not  exactly  make  a  man  fat,  it  makes  liim  strong,  bold  as 
a  lion,  invincible.  You  shall  see  what  heroic  deeds  I  will 
yet  accomplish — on  condition,  of  course,  that  you  remain 
faithful  and  true  to  me.     Or  do  you  doubt  me  ?  " 

She  was  silent  for  a  moment.  A  quick,  mischievous 
side-glance  rested  on  him  for  an  instant :  "  Go  away  !  " 
she  whispered,  scarcely  above  her  breath.  "  You  are  only 
joking.  It  was  very  wrong  of  you  to  follow  us  here.  I 
still  have  six  paternosters  to  repeat,  and  it  is  a  positive 
sin — " 

"  It's  a  sin  of  your  papa,  sweet  Nanny  mine,  to  shut 
you  up  like  a  nun  and  let  you  go  nowhere  but  to  church, 
as  if  a  young  creature  needed  nothing  but  to  be  pious. 
When  should  one  be  merry,  then,  unless  it  is  when  one  is 
young  ?  Come,  Fraulein  Nanny,  if  your  father  had  not 
been  so  angry  yesterday,  and  I  were  sitting  by  your  side 
— not  here  in  the  dark  corner,  but  in  your  ov/n  house  on 
the  sofa — and  were  whispering  all  sorts  of  silly  love-talk 
in  your  ear,  and  your  sister,  who  was  left  to  matronize 
us,  should  find  her  presence  absolutely  necessary  in  the 
kitchen,  and — " 

The  round  red  face  in  the  window-niche  assumed  a 
highly  displeased  expression,  for  the  two  heads  near  the 
red  columns  had  approached  so  near  together  that  their 
hair  touched,  and  the  softest  whispering  sufficed  to  make 
itself  understood.  Over  opposite,  where  the  other  couple 
were,  a  space  two  spans  broad  still  intervened  between 
the  two  kneeling  figures.  But  even  there  not  a  syllable 
appeared  to  be  lost. 

"  I  know  I  have  no  right  to  hope  for  any  great  happi- 
ness," whispered  Elfinger.  "  I  am  a  poor  cripple.  If  you 
reply  by  saying  that  it  is  a  piece  of  audacity  for  me  to 
hope,  with  my  single  eye,  to  find  favor  in  the  most  beau- 


244  I^"^    PARADISE. 

tiful  pair  of  eyes  that  ever  read  in  a  prayer-book,  I  find 
it  very  natural.  Yes,  you  will  even  do  rae  a  favor,  Friiu- 
lein  Fanny,  if  you  will  tell  me  so — if  you  will  confess  to 
me  that  a  man  who  looks  as  I  do  can  never  win  your 
heart.  I  would  try  then  to  come  to  my  senses — that  is 
to  say,  to  become  quite  hopeless.  Will  you  do  me  this 
favor?" 

Deep  silence.  Nevertheless  she  hardly  seemed  inclined 
to  make  such  a  declaration. 

"  You  are  cruel ! "  he  continued  ;  "  I  am  neither  to 
live  nor  die.  But  of  what  account  am  I  ?  If  I  could  be- 
lieve that  you  would  be  happy — O  Fanny,  I  would  really 
suppress  my  own  feelings  and  call  the  convent  a  paradise 
in  which  you  lived  and  were  content.  But  I  shudder  to 
think  that  you  may  regret  what  you  have  done  when  it 
is  too  late  ;  that  then  even  a  life  by  the  side  of  such  an 
ugly,  insignificant,  unknown  man  as  I  am,  who  loves  you 
more  than  himself  and  would  do  everything  for  you,  and 
Avho  finds  his  whole  world  in  you — " 

He  raised  his  voice  so  loud  as  he  said  this  that  she 
looked  up  in  ailright,  and  made  a  beseeching  sign  for  him 
to  calm  himself.  In  doing  this,  she  involuntarily  moved 
a  little  nearer  to  him. 

"  For  Heaven's  sake  ! "  she  stammered,  "  what  are 
you  doing  ?  Pray — pray  leave  me.  It  can  never,  it  must 
never  be  ! — never,  never  !  A  secret,  that  I  dare  not  tell 
to  any  one,  not  even  in  the — " 

"In  the  confessional,"  she  was  about  to  add.  Sud- 
denly she  started  back,  in  alann  at  what  she  had  already 
said,  and  bowed  her  face  down  upon  her  book  again. 

"  This  miserable,  faint-hearted,  AVTetched  world  of  shop- 
keepers ! "  raved  Rosenbusch,  on  his  stool  over  opposite. 
"  Can  there  still  be  bold  and  manly  deeds  ?    O  Nanny  1 


IN   PARADISE.  245 

if  it  only  were  as  it  once  was,  I  would  come  spun-ing  up 
to  your  father's  castle  some  fine  night  on  my  gallant 
charger.  You  would  let  down  a  rope-ladder  from  the 
donjon -window,  and  would  swing  yourself  up  behind 
me  on  my  horse — and  away  we  would  go  into  the  wide, 
wide  world  !     But  nowadays — " 

"  Hm  !  nowadays  we  have  railroads,"  she  murmured, 
slyly. 

"  Girl ! "  he  cried,  in  a  sepulchral  voice,  "  are  you 
really  in  earnest  ?  You  would — you  have  the  courage  ? 
O  dearest  Xanny  of  my  heart !  If  I  should  elope  with 
you,  you  would  love  me  so  dearly  that  you  would  follow 
me  to  the  end  of  the  world — " 

She  shook  her  head.  There  was  a  sound  like  a  sup- 
pressed giggle. 

"  Nonsense  !  "  she  said,  "  we  need  only  go  as  far  as 
Pasing.  Then  papa  will  steam  by  us  ;  or  we  can  do  as 
another  couple  once  did.  They  merely  went  to  the  top 
of  the  church  of  St.  Peter  and  sat  concealed  there  with 
the  warden,  and  their  people  went  searching  about  all 
over  the  country  for  them,  while  they  sat  there  and 
laughed  at  them  all." 

"  Nanny,  love,  you  really  will — oh,  what  a  heavenly 
idea  !  To-morrow — if  you  are  truly  in  earnest — to-mor- 
row evening  at  this  time — " 

This  time  she  actually  laughed  out  loud,  but  she  held 
her  handkerchief  before  her  face. 

"  Oh,  stop  ! "  she  said,  "  I  was  only  joking  !  It  is 
absurd  to  talk  of  such  a  thing  !  Mother  would  wori-y 
herself  to  death,  and  besides — but  we  must  go  ;  Fanny 
has  risen  already." 

She  put  her  book  up  near  her  face,  so  as  to  pray  as 
quickly  as  possible.     But  he,  burning  with  his  adven- 


246  I^    PARADISE. 

turous  spirit,  and  encouraged  by  the  darkness  of  the  place, 
quickly  whispered  to  her  : 

"  Aud  you  "vvill  send  me  away  in  this  fashion  ?  Not 
a  single  stolen — oh,  Nanny  dear,  you  would  be  doing  a 
good  deed — a  kiss,  in  all  honor  !  " 

She  seemed  to  have  suddenly  become  deaf,  so  motion- 
less did  she  kneel  there,  with  her  eyes  tightly  closed.  At 
last,  however,  she  made  a  movement  as  though  she  would 
stand  up.  In  doing  so,  her  little  book  slipped  from  the 
slanting  rack  and  fell  between  her  and  her  chivalrous 
neighbor.  She  stooped  down  hastily  to  pick  it  up,  and, 
as  he  could  not  help  doing  likewise,  nothing  was  more 
natural  than  that  their  faces  should  approach  near  enough, 
there  in  the  darkness,  for  him  to  impress  a  hasty  kiss  on 
the  girl's  round  cheek.  She  did  not  even  seem  to  be  con- 
scious of  what  had  occurred, 

"  Thank  you,"  she  whispered  as  she  rose  up  again, 
holding  the  book  he  had  officiously  handed  her.  "  Good- 
night— but  you  mustn't  follow  us  !  " 

She  said  this  in  a  tone  which  made  it  very  doubtful 
whether  she  meant  it  seriously.  At  the  same  time  she 
rose  from  the  stool  and  hurried  to  her  sister,  who  stood 
waiting  for  her,  with  downcast  eyes,  near  the  holy-water 
basin. 

The  two  slim  figures  reverently  bent  the  knee  before 
the  principal  altar,  sprinkled  themselves  again  with  the 
holy-water,  and  left  the  little  church  in  the  same  manner 
as  they  had  come,  deeply  veiled  and  carrying  their  prayer- 
books  before  them  in  their  hands. 

Five  minutes  after,  Rosenbusch  might  have  been  seen 
stepping  out  of  the  porch,  arm-in-arm  with  (lio  actor.  The 
battle-painter  threw  the  only  sixpence  he  had  about  him 
into  a  lame  beggar's  hat. 


IN    PARADISE.  247 

"  Holy  Mother  !  "  he  cried,  "  life  is  splendid,  after  all, 
in  spite  of  leather-glove-makers." 

"  Where  shall  we  go  ?  "  asked  his  gloomy  friend,  whose 
spirits  had  been  completely  crushed  by  the  "  secret "  of 
his  sweetheart. 

"  To  the  tower  of  St.  Peter's,  noble  Roscius  !  I  must 
get  acquainted  with  the  warden  this  very  evening,  and 
take  a  look  at  the  arrangement  of  the  place.  One  can 
never  know  what  devilish  queer  adventures  one  may  en- 
counter, when  it  would  be  very  useful  to  have  such  high 
friends  and  patrons." 


CHAPTER    V. 

Early  on  the  morning  following  their  nocturnal  en- 
counter, Felix  sought  out  the  lieutenant ;  he  could  not 
rest  without  trying  to  find  out  whether  it  was  not  an  illu- 
sion of  his  senses  which  made  him  think  he  saw  Irene's 
uncle  riding  at  his  friend's  side.  Schnetz  lived  in  the  top 
story  of  a  dismal  old  house  whose  Avinding  stairway  was 
but  dimly  illuminated  by  a  faint  stream  of  light  proceed- 
ing from  a  dingy  skylight  covered  with  dust  and  cob- 
webs. A  woman,  too  refined-looking  to  be  a  servant,  and, 
on  the  other  hand,  too  modest  in  her  behavior  to  be  a 
housekeeper,  opened  the  door  for  the  strange  visitor, 
looked  at  him  in  a  frightened  and  confused  way,  and  in- 
formed him  in  a  soft,  subdued  voice  that  the  lieutenant 
had  gone  out  very  early  in  the  morning  ;  Avhen  he  v/ould 
be  back  she  did  not  know.  He  sometimes  staid  away 
whole  days  at  a  time  ;  this  time,  besides,  he  had  said 


248  I^   PARADISE. 

something  to  her  about  taking  a  ride  into  the  mountains. 
So  Felix  was  forced  to  restrain  his  impatience.  But  he 
felt  quite  incapable  of  going  to  his  work  as  usual.  He 
lounged  about  the  streets  for  hours,  regardless  of  the  heat 
and  dust.  He  carefully  scanned  every  horseman  whom  he 
met,  and  every  carriage  from  which  he  saw  a  veil  Avaving; 
and  a  girl's  head,  turning  about  with  restless  curiosity  to 
see  all  that  was  going  on,  caused  his  heart  to  beat  until 
he  had  convinced  himself  it  was  not  the  dreaded,  and  yet 
secretly  so  longed-for,  face  —  for  which  he  sought  thus 
earnestly  only  that  it  might  not  take  him  too  much  by 
surprise. 

On  the  following  day  he  continued  his  aimless  wan- 
derings, at  first  on  foot,  through  all  the  picture  galleries, 
and  in  the  afternoon  in  a  drosky,  in  which  he  rattled 
through  the  Au  suburb,  the  English  Garden,  and,  finally, 
the  Nymphenburg  and  the  deer  park,  until  his  panting 
horse  landed  him,  toward  evening,  at  one  of  the  suburban 
theatres  ;  for  there  was  still  a  bare  possibility  that  the 
travelers  would  feel  a  desire  to  see  the  "  Pfarrer  von 
Kirchfeld,"  which  happened  to  be  the  sensation  of  the 
hour. 

All  these  hopes  were  doomed  to  disappointment.  Half 
tired  out  and  half  angry  with  himself,  he  left  the  theatre 
at  the  close  of  the  first  act,  and  strolled  back  to  his  lodg- 
ings by  the  most  unfrequented  streets  he  could  find. 
There  he  found  a  line  from  Jansen,  who  had  been  alarmed 
at  his  long  absence. 

"  It  is  true,"  he  laughed  bitterly  to  himself,  "  such  an 
old  apprentice  as  I  am  ought  to  know  the  value  of  his 
time  better  than  to  cut  school  for  two  days.  What  is  the 
good  of  it  all,  except  to  give  one  tired  legs  and  a  heavy 
head  ?     And,  if  I  really  had  found  her,  what  then  ?     We 


IN    PARADISE.  249 

should  have  stared  at  one  another  like  total  strangers,  and 
hurried  out  of  one  another's  sight." 

He  threw  himself  on  the  sofa,  and  mechanically  reached 
out  his  hand  for  one  of  the  books  that  lay  upon  the  table. 
As  he  did  so  he  noticed  that  he  had  taken  up  with  it  a 
fine  red  hair,  and  this  recalled  his  thoughts  to  the  night 
when  he  had  given  up  this  room  to  Zenz. 

"  What  a  fool  I  was  !  "  he  muttered  between  his  teeth. 
"  If  I  had  not  driven  the  good  creature  away  from  me, 
perhaps  I  should  be  in  better  humor  now,  and  would  not 
have  wasted  these  two  days  in  such  a  senseless  way." 

Then  he  tried  very  hard  to  recall  the  figure  of  the 
poor  child.  But  she  exercised  no  more  power  over  him 
now  than  she  had  when  she  was  present  in  the  body.  At 
last  sleep  took  compassion  on  his  troubled  soul. 

The  next  morning  he  resigned  himself  with  no  little 
bitterness  to  his  fate,  and  betook  himself  to  Jansen's 
workshop.  He  hojied  that  he  should  be  in  better  mood 
when  once  he  had  a  piece  of  clay  between  his  fingers. 

He  started  back  in  positive  alarm,  therefore,  when, 
while  crossing  one  of  the  large,  deserted  squares,  he  saw 
the  very  person  whom  he  had  yesterday  sought  so  dili- 
gently, coming  out  of  a  hotel  door  and  advancing  straight 
upon  him.  The  lieutenant  wore  his  usual  suit — a  close- 
buttoned  green  riding-jacket,  high  top-boots,  and  a  gray 
hat,  with  a  little  feather,  slightly  tipped  toward  the  left 
ear.  His  dry,  yellow  face,  with  its  black  imperial,  had  a 
most  grim  and  defiant  look,  but  it  was  instantly  lighted 
up  by  a  polite  smile  when  he  caught  sight  of  his  young 
friend  of  the  "  Paradise." 

"  I  missed  your  visit  day  before  yesterday,  and  have 
not  been  able  to  return  it  yet  because  I  have  been  in  ser- 
vice again.   An  old  acquaintance  has  fallen  upon  me  from 


250  IN    PARADISE. 

the  skies,  a  Baron  N "  (he  gave  the  name  of  Irene's 

uncle).  "  I  got  acquainted  with  this  jolly  crony  some 
years  ago  in  Algiers,  when,  just  to  get  a  smell  of  powder, 
I  was  fool  enough  to  take  the  field  against  Messieurs  les 
Arcibes,  although  they  had  never  done  me  the  slightest 
harm  in  the  world.  The  baron  was  trying  at  the  time 
to  become  a  lion-hunter  ;  but  he  afterward  preferred  to 
offer  his  homage  to  the  king  of  the  desert  from  a  respect- 
ful distance,  and  to  ti-avel  back  to  his  peaceful  home  with 
a  skin  bought  at  a  bazaar,  and  a  good  store  of  burnooses 
and  shawls.  He  was  the  sensible  man  of  the  two.  For 
my  part,  it  was  a  long  time  before  I  could  get  rid  of  the 
ugly  remembrance  that  I  had  really  done  my  hunting  in 
earnest,  and  had  probably  deprived  several  of  those  poor 
devils  of  the  pleasure  of  protecting  their  native  soil  against 
the  French  invaders.  And  now  ray  old  tent-fellow  comes 
upon  me  here  like  a  ghost — though  a  "very  portly  and 
jolly  one — and  drags  me  about  with  him  for  days  ;  in 
fact,  I  am  coming  from  his  hotel  at  this  very  moment." 

Felix  involuntarily  gave  a  glance  toward  the  windows 
of  the  hotel.  It  cost  him  a  hard  struggle  to  suppress  all 
signs  of  his  emotion. 

"  Does  your  guest  live  here  ?  "  he  asked.  "  You  have 
been  visiting  him  so  early  ?" 

"  We  were  going  to  take  a  ride.  But  I  found  a  note 
from  him,  in  which  he  informed  me  that  I  might  take  a 
holiday.  His  party  has  been  invited  by  one  of  its  noble 
relatives  to  take  an  excursion  of  several  days,  at  which  I, 
thank  Heaven,  should  be  qiiite  superfluous." 

"  His  party  ?     Then  the  baron  is — " 

"  Married  ?  No  ;  but  almost  worse  than  that.  He 
has  a  young  niece  with  him  who  is  really  the  cause  of  his 
having  come  here  at  all.     A  bad  story — a  broken  engage- 


TN    PARADISE.  251 

ment,  great  surmising  and  gossiping  about  it  in  the  little 
capital — in  short,  the  health  of  the  Fraulein  demanded  a 
change  of  air,  and  she  insisted  upon  going  off  to  Italy  for 
a  year.  My  old  comrade,  who  remained  a  bachelor  be- 
cause he  feared  the  claws  of  a  lioness  less  than  the  slipper 
of  a  pretty  wife — well,  he  simply  jumped  from  the  fry- 
ing-pan into  the  fire.  This  young  niece  of  his  rules  him 
with  her  little  finger.  The  consequence  was  that  the 
trunks  immediately  had  to  be  packed  for  Italy.  But, 
while  here,  their  noble  relatives  succeeded  in  frightening 
them  so  about  the  Italian  summers  and  the  cholera,  that 
they  have  decided  to  wait  until  the  worst  of  the  season  is 
over,  spending  part  of  the  time  here  in  the  city  and  part 
in  the  mountains.  You  will  perceive,  my  dear  friend, 
what  a  charming  prospect  this  is  for  me." 

"  Is  the  young  Fraulein  so  unamiable  that  your  '  ser- 
vice '  is  such  a  hard  task  ? "  Felix  remarked,  with  an  at- 
tempt at  lightness.  At  the  same  time  he  looked  abstract- 
edly away  from  the  lieutenant,  as  if  he  merely  continued 
the  topic  from  politeness. 

"  Look  here  !  "  continued  Schnetz,  with  his  peculiar, 
dry  chuckle.  "If  you  like,  I'll  introduce  you  to  the 
young  lady,  and  resign  all  my  rights.  You  will  then 
have  an  opportunity  to  become  acquainted  with  the  sweet- 
ness of  such  service,  and  will  perhaps  make  out  better 
than  I,  who  certainly  have  not  succeeded  in  winning  my 
way  to  favor.  This  proud  little  person — provided,  by- 
the-way,  with  a  pair  of  eyes  that  are  equally  well  fitted 
to  rule,  to  be  gracious,  and  to  condemn  one  forever — has 
unfortunately  never  felt  a  strong  hand  over  her.  The 
consequence  is,  she  has  a  way  of  always  setting  up  her 
own  wishes  on  every  subject,  among  others  in  regard  to 
this  unfortunate  engagement.     She  appears  to  have  made 


353  ^-^'    PARADISE. 

it  so  hot  for  the  good  youth  who  had  the  courage  to  take 
up  with  her,  that  at  last  he  couldn't  stand  it  any  longer. 
It  is  very  probable  that  she  was  sorry  for  this  at  heart, 
and  so  at  the  present  moment  she  is  in  a  decidedly  irri- 
table and  discontented  mood,  and  it  is  dangerous  to  touch 
her  without  gloves.  Unfortunately  I  neglected  to  use  this 
consideration  ;  and,  as  a  consequence,  we  stand  on  a  most 
charming  war- footing  toward  one  another." 

He  struck  his  boot  impatiently  with  his  riding-whip, 
put  his  left  arm  through  his  young  companion's  right, 
and,  striding  rapidly  forward  with  his  long  legs,  growled 
out  : 

"It's  enough  to  drive  a  man  wild  when  he  sees  how 
God's  images  are  disfigured — whether  by  saints  or  devils, 
it's  all  the  same.  Either  confined  by  strait-lacing  or  by 
nuns'  robes,  or  else  decolletees  to  the  very  waist.  Believe 
me,  my  dear  fellow,  as  far  as  the  education  of  the  women 
of  the  upper  classes  is  concerned,  we  are  not  much  far- 
ther advanced  to-day  than  we  were  in  the  darkest  middle 
ages,  when  a  brothel  stood  next  door  to  a  church.  At 
least,  we,  down  here  in  our  envied  South,  are  not ;  though, 
to  be  sure,  this  Northern  blood — " 

"A  North  German?" 

"  Hum  !  North  or  middle  German  ! — upon  that  point 
she  is  positively  fiendish  !  In  the  very  first  hour  of  our 
meeting,  this  Fraulcin  asked  me  what  sort  of  society  we 
had  here — of  course,  the  aristocratic  societj'^,  as  it  loves 
to  call  itself  ;  for  a  mere  crowd  of  human  beings,  without 
the  forms  of  etiquette,  can  never  be  regarded  as  human 
society.  I  replied  quietly  that  the  so-called  good  society 
here  was  the  worst  one  could  possibly  wish  for,  and  thaf 
it  was  only  in  the  so-called  bad  society  that  I  had  come 
across  a  few  good  comrades  here  and  there,  with  whom 


IN    PARADISE.  253 

there  was  such  a  thing  as  living.  Whereupon  the  little 
princess  looked  at  me  as  much  as  to  say  that  she  should 
never  have  supposed,  from  my  dress— which  was  any- 
thing but  suited  to  the  salon — that  my  exclusion  from 
polite  society  was  otherwise  than  involuntary.  But  I, 
pretending  not  to  notice  this,  proceeded  to  explain  to  her 
at  length  the  reasons  which  caused  me  to  be  disgusted 
with  the  creme  of  our  city  ;  the  strange  odor  of  their 
salons — a  mixture  of  patchouli,  incense,  and  the  stable — 
their  very  doubtful  French,  and  their  undoubtedly  worse 
German;  their  almost  sublime  ignorance  of  all  that  is  gen- 
erally considered  to  belong  to  education  ;  and  that  naive 
lack  of  knowledge  in  moral  matters,  which  is  generally 
to  be  found  only  in  convents,  and  which  can  only  be 
properly  fostered  by  an  ecclesiastical  society  and  sanc- 
tioned by  sly  father  confessors.  Your  nobles  in  the 
North,  so  far  as  I  have  knoAvn  them — well,  I  needn't  tell 
you  about  the  clay  of  which  they  are  made.  No  matter 
what,  hard-mouthed  hobbies  they  ride  in  regard  to  affairs 
of  church  and  state,  they  nevertheless  hold  fast  to  ?ioblesse 
oblige  /  and  then,  too,  you  are  very  likely  to  find,  in  the 
castles  of  Pomerania  and  the  Mark,  the  Bible  and  the 
hymn-book  side  by  side  with  Ranke's  'History  of  the 
Popes '  and  Macaulay's  '  History  of  England.'  With 
us,  on  the  other  hand — to  be  sure,  though,  Paul  de  Kock 
and  the  'Seeress  of  Prevorst'  are  also  classics,  and  do 
not  stand  on  the  'Index  Expurgatorius.'  I  notice  that 
you  are  thinking  to  yourself  how  much  less  jolly,  and  more 
discontented  and  bristling,  I  am  to-day  than  I  was  that 
night  in  'Paradise.'  You  see,  my  good  fellow,  you  got 
acquainted  with  me  then  in  one  of  my  holiday  humors, 
that  come  over  me  only  once  a  month  ;  and,  to-day,  you 
Bee  my  old  Adam  with  his  every-day  face.     If  no  one 


254  IN    PARADISE. 

else  lias  told  you  this,  to  give  you  due  warning  about  me, 
I  must  confess  it  myself — since  I  left  the  service  I  have 
really  had  no  occupation  but  to  scoff  and  grumble.  It  is 
true,  we  live  at  a  time  when  every  honest  fellow  will  have 
his  hands  full  if  he  only  conscientiously  improves  every 
oppoitunity  to  do  this.  But  you  know  this  goes  very 
badly  with  our  celebrated  South  German  good-nature  ; 
all  the  worse  if  the  one  who  scolds  happens  to  be  in  the 
right.  It  is  because  of  this  that  I  have  grown  old  in  my 
lieutenancy  ;  for  I  could  not  keep  my  mouth  shut  even 
about  our  military  shortcomings,  and  at  last  succeeded  in 
bolting  every  door  to  advancement  so  tightly  against  me, 
that  I  preferred  to  leave  the  beaten  track  of  a  military 
career  altogether.  Wouldn't  even  the  blessed  Thersites 
have  been  forced  to  resign  if  he  had  served  as  first  lieu- 
tenant under  the  generals  Achilles  or  Diomodes  ?  And  yet, 
those  times  were  far  simpler  than  ours  !  So,  now,  I  go 
on  grumbling  without  hinderance,  and  without  caring 
whether  any  notice  is  taken  of  it  or  not.  The  wheat  of 
the  Philistines  is  sown  too  thick,  and  thrives  too  well,  for 
it  to  be  hurt  by  the  few  tares  that  grow  among  it.  Still, 
it  does  me  some  good  ;  in  the  first  place,  because  it  purges 
me  of  my  gall  before  it  mixes  with  my  blood  and  attacks 
my  vitals  ;  and  then  because  it  makes  me  more  and  more 
hated  by  good  society,  and  avoided  by  persons  of  my 
own  rank.  You  don't  know  what  a  Robinson-Crusoe- 
like existence  I  lead  ;  in  the  midst  of  the  city  I  am  as 
solitary  as  Saint  Anthony  in  his  cave  ;  yes,  even  more 
lonely,  for  I  suffer  no  temptations.  Won't  you  take  a 
look  at  my  hermitage  ?     Here  we  are  at  the  door." 

They  had  arrived  at  the  old  house  with  which  Felix 
had  already  made  acquaintance.  He  felt  very  little  dis- 
position to  mount  the  stairs  again.     While  his  companion 


IN    PARADISE.  255 

had  been  running  on  in  this  odd,  bitter  way,  his  mind 
had  been  occupied  by  one  single  thought.  "  She  is  here  ! 
You  need  only  wish  it,  and  you  can  see  her  to-morrow  !  " 
Nevertheless,  he  could  not  well  refuse  Schnetz's  polite 
invitation  ;  and  so  he  followed  him  up  into  his  fourth- 
story  quarters. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

The  pale,  quiet  woman  opened  the  door  for  them,  and 
looked  neither  at  Schnetz  nor  his  companion,  but  with- 
drew hastily  to  a  little  back-room  near  the  kitchen,  with- 
out giving  any  other  answer  than  a  slow  shake  of  the 
head  to  her  master's  kind  nod  and  inquiry  whether  any 
one  had  been  there.  Felix  was  struck,  even  more  than 
the  first  time,  by  the  sad,  timid  expression  of  her  eyes, 
which  had  a  noble  form  and  a  soft  brilliancy,  while  her 
features  could  never  have  been  handsome  even  in  her 
younger  days. 

"  You  must  excuse  me,"  said  Schnetz,  when  they  had 
entered  his  room,  where  he  offered  his  visitor  a  cigar — he 
himself  smoked  Algerian  tobacco  out  of  a  short  clay-pipe 
— "  for  not  having  introduced  you  to  Madame  Thersites. 
You  would  not  have  gained  much  by  it,  for  the  spirits  of 
that  good  soul  are  not,  unfortunately,  the  best  in  the  world. 
She  labors  under  the  fixed  delusion  that  she  is  the  great 
misfortune  of  my  life,  because  I  quitted  the  service  on 
her  account ;  since  which  time  I  have  had  hard  work  to 
keep  her  from  quitting  life  itself  in  some  moment  of  de- 
pression. Yes,  my  dear  fellow,  there  is  a  little  example 
of  the  profound  sense,  wisdom,  and  morality  of  our  social 
condition.     This  excellent  woman,  who  has  now  borne  the 


256  IN    PARADISE. 

world  with  me  for  ten  years,  comes  of  a  family  of  country 
schoolmasters.  I  became  acquainted  with  her  when  I 
was  visiting  the  lord  of  the  manor  ;  her  old  father  had 
been  pensioned,  her  mother  was  dead,  and  she,  the  eldest 
daughter,  took  entire  charge  of  the  household,  educated 
her  brothers  and  sisters,  and  yet  found  time  enough  to 
do  something  for  herself  and  perfect  her  education.  Of 
course  she  is  a  Protestant.  Well,  I  began  to  respect  her 
greatly  ;  and  so  one  thing  followed  another,  until  I  dis- 
covered that  I  could  not  live  without  her.  The  fact  that 
I  could  not  give  the  bonds  which  a  lieutenant  must  have 
in  order  to  marry,  did  not  seem  to  me  at  the  time  an 
insurmountable  difficulty.  My  sweetheart  thought  just 
as  I  did,  that  we  only  need  wait  until  her  second  sister 
was  old  enough  to  take  her  place  in  the  household.  As 
soon  as  this  w^as  possible,  we  could  live  in  the  city.  An 
old  aunt,  whose  heir  I  expected  to  be,  had,  as  she  said 
herself,  long  had  her  trunks  packed  for  the  journey  to  the 
other  world,  and  then  I  could  easily  raise  the  necessary 
sum  ;  while  the  fact  that  my  marriage  would  be  a  mes- 
alliance especially  delighted  my  heart  on  account  of  my 
family,  with  whom  I  had  long  before  broken  off  all  rela- 
tions. 

"But  the  departure  of  my  aunt  was  put  off  from 
year  to  year ;  and  we  resolved  not  to  wait  till  our  best 
days  were  past,  and  lived  for  some  four  or  five  years  in 
Christian  and  true  marriage,  though  it  had  not  received 
ecclesiastical  sanction.  Our  only  trouble  was  the  loss  of 
our  four  children.  At  last  my  aunt  betook  herself  to  her 
last  resting-place  ;  and  now,  for  we  were  again  expecting 
a  child,  we  made  preparations  to  procure  an  official  recog- 
nition of  our  union,  though  nothing  could  make  it  closer 
than  it  was  already.     But  see  what  sublime  sentiments 


IN    PARADISE.  257 

were  all  at  once  expressed  by  my  good  comrades ! — the 
whole  corps  knew  our  relations  to  one  another  in  all  its 
uprightness,  and  knew  me  besides.  The  honor  of  the 
corps  would  suffer  under  it,  they  said,  if  I  married  a  '  per- 
son '  who  had  had  children  before  the  official  recognition 
of  her  marriage.  They  wouldn't  have  found  it  in  the 
least  offensive  had  I  merely  continued  the  old  relations. 
The  logic  of  this  point  cVhonneur  was  incomprehensible 
to  my  stupid  head,  as  well  as  to  my  wife's.  But  while  it 
merely  made  mine  sit  all  the  firmer  on  my  shoulders,  so 
that  I  preferred  to  resign  rather  than  to  submit,  it  threw 
my  poor  wife's  completely  off  its  balance.  We  went 
through  the  ceremony  sadly  ;  the  child,  which  was  soon 
after  brought  into  the  world,  died  within  a  few  months; 
and  since  that  time  the  poor  creature  has  been  afflicted 
with  the  melancholy  delusion  that  she  has  the  ruin  of  my 
life  upon  her  conscience.  I  have  tried  a  hundred  times 
to  make  it  clear  to  her  that  I  could  have  wished  for  noth- 
ing better  than  to  be  free  from  the  routine  of  military 
service,  and  devote  my  life  to  my  studies.  There  are  cer- 
tain points  in  military  history,  and  also  a  few  technical 
problems  and  controversial  questions,  concerning  which  I 
sometimes  have  a  word  or  two  to  say  in  military  periodi- 
cals ;  and  so,  when  the  wretched  campaign  of  '66  came, 
in  which  we  had  hard  work  to  save  the  honor  of  our 
arms,  to  say  nothing  of  our  having  been  delightfully 
fooled  by  Austria,  I  thanked  the  Lord  that  I  was  not 
forced  to  march  with  the  rest,  but  had  done  forever 
with  a  trade  which  can  make  a  man  act  against  his  con- 
victions. Since  then,  we  have  lived  on  unmolested,  and 
I  devote  my  spare  hours,  as  you  see,  to  illustrating  my 
prosaic  existence  according  to  the  best  of  my  ability." 
His  eyes  wandered  over  the  little  room,  which  cer- 
17 


258  I^    PARADISE. 

tainly  did  not  seem  very  cheerful,  and  had,  even  on  this 
summer  day,  a  strangely  chilling  air.  It  is  possible  that 
this  impression  was  caused  in  part  by  the  peculiar  decolla- 
tion of  the  walls,  that  were  but  sparsely  relieved  by  a 
few  plain  articles  of  furniture,  a  black  leather  sofa  and  a 
carved,  worm-eaten  wardrobe.  Instead  of  framed  pict- 
ures or  engravings,  wherever  there  was  a  vacant  spot, 
and  even  behind  the  stove  and  in  the  niche  of  the  soli- 
tary window,  there  were  the  most  grotesque  silhouettes  cut 
out  of  black  paper  and  pasted  on  the  bare  plaster,  which 
had  once  been  painted  white.  They  formed  an  extraordi- 
nary collection  of  figures,  taken  from  the  most  different 
stations  of  life,  most  of  them  exhibited  in  ridiculous  post- 
ures appropriate  to  their  respective  occupations — pedan- 
tic scholars,  students,  artists,  women,  ecclesiastics,  and 
soldiers — all  as  if  caught  in  flagrante  in  their  pet  weak- 
nesses and  sins,  and  fixed  upon  the  wall,  standing  revealed 
in  shadowy  outline.  Yet  an  artist  could  not  help  taking 
delight  in  the  broad  yet  spirited  strokes  with  which  each 
figure  was  portrayed  ;  and  it  was  simply  the  superabun- 
dance of  these  weird  groups  that  covered  the  walls,  and 
had  already  begun  to  overspread  the  smoke-stained  ceil- 
ing, which  was  calculated  to  excite  feverish  dreams  in  a 
quiet  brain  if  they  w^ere  looked  at  for  any  length  of  time. 
"You  see  now  why  I  dragged  you  up  here,"  said 
Schnetz,  throwing  off  his  riding-jacket  and  crossing  his 
lean  arms  (round  which  flapped  a  pair  of  coarse  shirt- 
sleeves) behind  his  back.  "  From  my  intercourse  with 
artists  I  have  caught  vanity  enough  to  mercilessly  en- 
tice inoffensive  people  into  my  den,  although  the  black 
art  which  I  jnirsue  appears  to  very  few  of  them  to  be 
worth  the  trouble  of  toiling  up  four  flights  of  stairs  to 
examine.     Life  viewed  from  the  wrong  side — the  fancies 


1 


IN    PARADISE.  259 

of  a  misanthrope — a  Thersites  album,  or  rather  nigrum — 
well,  am  I  wrong  in  thinking  that  this  world  of  shadows 
is  even  less  to  your  taste  than  an  ordinary  art  exhibition  ? 
"  But  when  you  consider  the  matter  more  carefully, 
you  will  find  it  has  its  good  side.  What  is  it  that  is 
so  absolutely  lacking  in  all  modern  art,  and  the  absence 
of  which  is  the  source  of  all  other  defects  ?  Simply  this  : 
it  no  longer  respects  the  silhouette!  In  landscape  and 
genre,  historical  and  portrait  painting,  yes,  even  in  sculpt- 
ure, you  find  everywhere  a  lot  of  pretty  little  tricks  of 
execution  ;  delicate  shades,  tones,  and  touches  ;  a  devilish 
careful,  nervous,  and,  on  the  whole,  attractive  piece  of 
work,  but  in  it  all  not  a  single  great  feature  ;  no  strong 
decoration,  no  solid  construction,  the  very  shadow  of 
w^hich  suggests  something.  Give  me  a  pair  of  shears  and 
a  quire  of  black  paper,  and  I  will  cut  you  out  the  whole 
history  of  art  up  to  the  nineteenth  century  ;  the  Sistine 
Madonna  and  Claude  Lorraine  as  well  as  Teniers  and 
Ruysdael  ;  Phidias  and  Michael  Angelo  as  well  as  Ber- 
nini; so  that  every  one  of  them  shall  make  a  good  show- 
ing, the  rococo  period  included,  which,  after  all,  had  some- 
thing sounder  at  bottom  than  our  boasted  present.  Take 
away  from  the  latter  its  finical,  over-refined  tricks  of 
color,  and  what  is  left  ?  An  incredible  poverty  of  form, 
a  little  brilliancy  or  aspiring  '  idealism,'  and  the  bare  can- 
vas. The  same  thing  might,  it  seems  to  me,  be  justly 
applied  to  our  literature,  and  from  that  to  all  the  other 
manifestations  of  our  boasted  civilization.  But  I,  on  the 
contrary,  have  from  the  very  first  devoted  my  attention 
to  the  essential  part,  the  primary  form,  and  the  really 
determining  outlines  ;  and  as  these,  unfortunately,  only 
come  out  strongly  in  our  sins  and  weaknesses,  I  have  be- 
come a  silhoueite  cutter — an  art  that  not  only  earns  no 


260  IN^    PARADISE. 

bread,  but  even  takes  out  of  one's  mouth  the  bread  he 
might  otherwise  have  gained.  Naturally,  mankind  will 
never  forgive  one  who  shows  it  its  dark  side,  and  points 
out  its  excrescences  and  deformities  and  defects  ;  for  each 
individual  thinks  he  is  just  the  one  all  of  whose  sides  the 
sun  should  especially  light  up." 

It  was  fortunate  for  Felix,  in  his  absent-minded  state, 
that  Schnetz  was  one  of  those  men  who,  when  they  once 
begin  upon  the  great  theme  of  their  life,  upon  their  mission 
or  their  one  idea,  take  no  offense  when  their  hearer  leaves 
them  to  run  on  alone,  but  play  upon  their  single  whim  in 
inexhaustible  variations.  When,  after  half  an  hour  or 
so,  Felix  interrupted  Schnetz  with  the  laughing  remark 
that  his  teacher  would  scold  him  if  he  came  to  work  too 
late,  he  found  that  he  himself  had  not  spoken  a  dozen 
words  ;  and  yet  the  lieutenant  took  leave  of  him  with 
the  remark  that  he  rejoiced  to  have  discovered  in  him  a 
congenial  spirit,  and  hoped  the  four  flights  of  stairs 
would  not  be  so  high  as  to  keep  him  from  their  acquaint- 
ance later  over  a  glass  of  beer  and  a  tolerable  cigar. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

The  weird  shadow-pictures  and  the  biting  epigrams 
of  his  new  friend  haunted  Felix  all  the  way  doAvn  the  four 
flights.  His  head  was  in  a  whirl  with  them  ;  his  heart  felt 
a  keen  sympathy  for  this  extraordinary  being.  "  What  a 
life  !  "  he  said  to  himself.  "  How  much  power  is  rusting 
and  going  to  decay  there  in  the  dark  !  And  who  is  to 
blame  for  it  ? — and  I,  who  knows  but  what  I — " 

He  pursued  his  soliloquy  no  further.     As  he  stepped 


IN    PARADISE.  261 

into  the  sunny  streets  a  carriage  rolled  quickly  past,  and 
from  it  fluttered  a  silver-gray  veil.  In  a  moment  all  his 
thoughts  were  upon  Irene  again.  Of  course  it  could  not 
have  been  she;  not  to-day,  at  all  events.  But  if  she  should 
return  from  her  excursion  to-morrow  and  drive  by  like 
this — what  then?  What  would  she  think?  That  he 
had  followed  her  and  was  seeking  an  opportunity  for  rec- 
onciliation, after  she  had  bidden  him  go  ?  Anything 
rather  than  such  a  suspicion  !  Even  though  he  knew  that 
he  was  not  entirely  blameless,  his  pride  was  too  deeply 
hurt,  his  honor  was  too  deeply  wounded,  for  him  to  make 
any  advances  or  to  suffer  even  the  suspicion  of  doing  so. 
That  she  was  not  running  after  him,  and  that  she  had 
not  the  slightest  idea  in  what  direction  he  had  turned 
his  steps,  he  did  not  for  a  moment  doubt.  He  knew  her 
proud  spirit  so  well,  that  he  only  feared  one  thing,  and 
that  v/as,  that  upon  catching  the  faintest  hint  of  his  being 
anyAvhere  near  her,  she  would  throw  aside  all  her  plans 
and  insist  upon  leaving  the  city  again  ;  indeed,  would 
rather  face  the  Italian  summer  and  all  the  dangers  of 
sickness,  than  give  rise  to  the  suspicion  that  she  felt  she 
had  been  too  hasty  with  him  and  wished  the  unfortunate 
letter  unwritten. 

The  simplest  and  at  the  same  time  the  most  chivalrous 
way  of  getting  out  of  the  difficulty  would  have  been  for 
him  to  have  gone  out  of  her  way  himself  ;  but  after  brief 
consideration  he  rejected  this  plan  as  altogether  imprac- 
ticable. An  uncontrollable  love  of  art  was  suddenly 
aroused  in  his  soul — a  strong  conviction  as  to  his  duty 
toward  Jansen  and  his  own  future  ;  and  it  seemed  to  him 
so  humiliating  to  have  to  confide  to  his  friends  the  rea- 
sons which  induced  him  to  run  away  from  school  again 
so  soon,  that  he  hastily  struck  into  the  nearest  way  to  the 


262  IN    PARADISE. 

studio,  as  if  he  felt  that  there  was  the  place  where  he 
would  be  safest  from  all  vexations  and  temptations. 

Besides,  he  had  a  whole  day  left  in  which  to  take 
serious  counsel  with  himself,  to  look  at  the  matter  from 
all  sides,  and  to  decide  what  it  was  best  to  do. 

As  he  entered  the  court  he  saw  a  carriage  standing  at 
the  door  of  the  rear  house.  Although  he  knew  it  could 
not  be  hers,  it  gave  him  a  sharp  start,  and  he  beckoned 
to  the  janitor  and  asked  him  who  had  come  to  call.  "  A 
lady,  neither  young  nor  old,  with  two  gentlemen  ;  and 
they  spoke  French."  It  Avas  evidently  a  matter  of  no  in- 
terest to  him,  and  so,  without  devoting  another  thought 
to  it,  he  opened  the  door  of  Jansen's  studio  and  went  in. 

The  visitors  were  standing  directly  before  the  Adam 
and  Eve,  with  their  backs  to  the  door,  and  did  not  hear 
him  enter.  Jansen  gave  him  a  nod  of  welcome,  and  old 
Homo  rose  slowly  from  his  tiger-skin  to  rub  his  gray 
head  against  Felix's  hand.  For  a  moment,  therefore,  he 
could  examine  the  three  visitors  at  his  leisure.  In  the 
youth  with  the  curly  black  hair  he  immediately  recog- 
nized the  young  Greek  he  had  met  in  "  Paradise,"  He 
was  pointing  to  different  parts  of  the  work  Avith  animated 
gestures,  and  seemed  to  be  expressing  to  the  lady  his  en- 
thusiastic admiration.  The  latter,  holding  an  eye-glass 
close  to  her  eyes,  stood  silent  and  motionless  before  the 
group,  to  all  appearances  completely  carried  away  by  it. 
She  Avas  dressed  with  simple  elegance,  Avas  rather  petite 
than  tall,  and  her  face,  seen  as  Felix  saw  it,  in  A'cry  slight 
profile,  Avas  not  exactly  youthful  or  of  special  beauty,  but 
was  striking  because  of  the  whiteness  of  the  skin  and  a 
certain  expression  of  force  and  intelligence  in  the  slight- 
ly-parted lips. 

The  Slavic  type  could  be  recognized  at  the  first  glance, 


IN    PARADISE.  263 

even  before  she  0}5ened  her  lips,  and  expressed  her  admira- 
tion to  Jansen  with  that  soft  modulation  which  is  so  pe- 
culiar to  the  Poles  and  Russians. 

The  gentleman  on  her  left  took  advantage  of  the  first 
pause  to  put  in  his  word.  He  was  a  lean,  elderly,  care- 
lessly-dressed man,  who  continually  swayed  his  long  body 
to  and  fro  while  speaking,  and  raised  his  eyebrows  with 
an  odd  expression  of  importance.  He,  too,  spoke  with  a 
foreign  accent ;  but  it  turned  out,  in  the  course  of  his 
conversation,  that  he  was  a  bom  Geinnan,  and  had  merely 
acquired  this  touch  of  Slavic  pronunciation  by  long  resi- 
dence in  Russia.  He  had  introduced  himself  as  an  art- 
collector  and  professor  of  {esthetics  ;  and  explained  that, 
while  making  a  professional  journey  to  Italy  and  France, 
he  had,  to  his  great  joy  and  surprise,  encountered  at  the 
hotel  the  countess,  whom  he  had  known  before  in  Berlin 
as  an  ardent  art-lover.  Although  he  had  never  visited 
Italy,  he  spoke  of  its  masterpieces  of  sculpture  with  the 
greatest  confidence  ;  nor  did  he  seem  to  find  anything  in 
Jansen's  studio  for  which  he  had  not  a  formula  at  his 
tongue's  end. 

In  the  mean  while  Stephanopulos  had  turned  round 
and  recognized  Felix,  and  had  hastened  to  introduce  him 
to  the  lady.  Her  keen,  brown  eyes  rested  with  evident 
pleasure  upon  the  stately  figure  of  the  young  man  ;  she 
asked  him  how  long  he  had  enjoyed  the  good-fortune  to 
be  the  pupil  of  such  an  artist,  and  wished  to  see  some  of 
his  own  productions,  a  favor  which  Felix  politely  but 
firmly  refused  to  grant. 

"  Do  you  fully  realize,"  said  she,  in  her  deep,  mellow 
voice,  "  what  an  enviable  being  you  are  ?  You  unite  the 
aristocracy  of  blood  and  talent,  and  the  fact  that  you 
have  decided  in  favor  of  sculpture  sets  the  crown  to  your 


264  IN   PARADISE. 

happiness.  What  is  life,  what  is  all  other  happiness  in 
life,  but  an  endless  series  of  excitements  ?  What  are  all 
other  arts  but  oil  to  the  fire,  fuel  for  the  passionate  soul 
that  yearns  to  free  itself  from  the  trammels  of  the  world, 
and  seeks  repose  in  the  ideal,  and,  instead  of  repose,  finds 
merely  more  inspired  emotions  ?  I  express  myself  very 
awkwardly — you  must  supply  what  I  mean.  But,  reall}^ 
now,  in  regard  to  sculpture — is  it  not,  if  only  because  of 
its  material,  peculiarly  suggestive  of  moderation  and  re- 
pose, even  in  the  liveliest  plays  of  lines  and  forms  ?  Take, 
for  instance,  that  Bacchante  over  there — what  person,  no 
matter  how  light  of  foot  and  fond  of  dancing,  feels  when 
he  looks  at  it  the  time  of  the  music  in  the  tips  of  his 
toes,  as  if  he  heard  a  dance  played  ?  Even  the  storm  and 
whirl  of  the  maddest  reel  is  controlled  by  the  law  of 
beauty,  much  as  one  conceives  of  the  idea  of  the  unfet- 
tered air  in  the  spirit  of  the  Creator  of  the  universe. 
And  then  this  unutterably  grand  group  of  the  first  human 
beings  !  All  disquiet  and  trouble,  all  the  fates  that  were 
reserved  for  mankind,  repose  here  as  if  in  the  germ — in 
the  bud.  In  the  presence  of  this  wonderful  work,  one 
forgets  all  petty  wishes  and  weaknesses  !  But  why 
haven't  you  finished  the  head  of  your  Eve,  honored  mas- 
ter?" 

A  sudden  blush  suffused  Jansen's  face  as  he  replied 
that  he  had  not  quite  made  up  his  mind  in  regard  to  the 
type  of  face.  lie  was,  according  to  his  wont,  monosyl- 
labic and  almost  awkward  in  the  presence  of  this  elo- 
quent Avoman.  But  it  struck  Felix  that  his  face  did  not 
darken  with  suppressed  disgust,  as  was  usually  the  case 
when  he  received  tiresome  visitors,  but  that  he  preserved 
the  same  patient,  smiling  mien  during  the  wise  utterances 
of  the  professor  and   the   rambling  scintillations  of  the 


JJY    PARADISE.  265 

lady.  They  had  not  met  for  two  days.  Felix  had  no 
suspicion  of  what  had  happened  in  the  mean  time  that 
caused  his  friend's  eyes  to  sparkle  with  such  unwonted 
mildness  and  animation. 

Meanwhile  the  countess  was  engaged  in  inspecting  the 
statues  that  stood  about  the  studio.  The  professor  had 
previously  expressed  the  opinion  that  the  greater  the 
genius  of  the  man  the  less  he  was  capable  of  duly  es- 
timating his  own  labors,  and  that  for  that  reason  he 
ought  to  have  his  own  works  explained  to  him  ;  and,  in 
accordance  with  this  sentiment,  he  now  relieved  Jansen 
of  the  trouble  of  acting  as  cicerone  in  his  own  workshop. 
The  casts  of  separate  limbs  in  dimensions  larger  than  life 
seemed  to  interest  the  lady,  and  the  beautifully-shaped 
breast  of  a  young  girl  afforded  the  professor  an  opportu- 
nity to  launch  into  a  long  discourse  on  the  form  of  the 
Venus  of  Milo  as  compared  with  that  of  the  Venus  of 
Medici. 

Suddenly  the  lady  turned  to  a  little  female  figure 
which  stood,  still  in  clay,  on  the  modeling-board  near  the 
window,  and  which  must  have  been  a  work  of  the  last 
few  days  ;  for  even  Felix  had  never  seen  it  before.  Al- 
though the  head  was  not  larger  than  a  child's  fist,  and  the 
execution  was,  as  yet,  only  very  sketchy,  it  was  easy  to 
see  at  the  first  glance  that  Julie's  picture  had  floated  be- 
fore the  eyes  of  the  sculptor.  The  beautiful  figure  leaned 
gently  against  the  back  of  a  simple  fautcidl,  her  right 
arm,  from  which  the  sleeve  was  pushed  back,  resting  on 
the  arm  of  the  chair,  her  cheek  pressed  against  her  hand, 
while  her  left  arm  hung  listlessly  down  so  that  the  long, 
exquisitely-formed  fingers  just  touched  the  head  of  a  dog 
that  was  sleeping  by  her  side.  The  eyes  were  half  closed, 
just  as  Julie's  generally  were  ;  and,  quickly  as  the  feat- 


266  ly    PARADISE, 

ures  had  been  designed,  an  expression  of  thoughtful  at- 
tention, of  earnest  and  loving  sympathy,  was  clearly  con- 
veyed in  the  face. 

In  this  position  she  had  sat  before  hini  while  he  told 
her  his  unhappy  story.  Amid  all  the  remembrances  of 
the  past  his  eyes  had  been  enchained  by  the  charm  of  the 
present,  and  with  that  strange,  independent  action  of  the 
artistic  temperament,  that  capacity  of  the  senses  for  ob- 
serving closely  while  the  soul  smarts  and  bleeds,  he  had 
taken  in  every  line  of  the  beloved  figure. 

Then,  when  he  had  returned  to  his  studio,  where  Felix 
did  not  make  his  appearance  that  day,  and  no  one  else 
broke  his  solitude,  he  had  begun,  at  fii'st  with  a  careless 
hand,  to  form  from  a  piece  of  clay  the  picture  that  never 
left  him,  until  at  length  he  had  grown  serious  over  his 
pastime,  and  had  produced  in  an  incredibly  short  time 
the  whole  charming  figui'e.  A  spirit  of  life,  a  natural 
grace,  breathed  through  the  Avhole  work,  and  was  still 
further  heightened  by  its  diminutive  proportions,  remind- 
ing one  of  the  fairy-tale  about  the  pygmy  maiden  who 
was  carried  about  by  her  happy  lover  in  a  casket. 

The  aesthetic  professor  took  advantage  of  the  occasion 
to  hold  forth  concerning  sitting  statues  from  the  time  of 
the  Agrippinas  down  to  that  of  Marie  Louise  in  Parma  ; 
about  the  im])ortance  of  portraits  in  general,  and  about 
other  profound  subjects  of  like  nature.  As  for  Stepha- 
nopulos,  he  was  sincerely  carried  away  by  the  charm  of 
the  figure,  and  expressed  his  admiration  in  enthusiastic 
terms. 

The  countess  remained  silent  for  a  considerable  time. 
Enthusiastically  as  she  had  expressed  herself  concerning 
Jansen's  other  works,  she  evidently  found  it  hard  to  con- 
quer a  certain  jealousy  in  regard  to  this  beautiful  woman. 


IN    PARADISE.  267 

"  How  often  did  the  lady  sit  to  you  ?  "  she  asked,  at 
length. 

He  answered,  with  a  peculiar  smile,  that  he  had  made 
the  sketch  from  memory. 

"  Really  ?  Then  you  are  something  more  than  a  ma- 
gician. You  not  only  conjure  up  spirits,  but  spirit  and 
body  together.  To  be  sure,  we  know  what  helping  spirit 
assists  artists  in  their  works  of  magic — a  spirit  that  rules 
all  other  men,  and  is  the  servant  of  genius  only. — Or 
don't  you  believe,  professor,"  said  she,  turning  to  her  com- 
panion, "  that  Raphael  and  Titian  could  conjure  up  those 
whom  they  loved  before  their  imaginations  more  vividly 
than  they  could  other  mortals  ?  " 

The  professor  delivered  a  few  brilliant  remarks  about 
the  power  of  fancy,  which  the  countess  received  with  an 
absent  smiie  ;  for  she  was  once  more  deeply  absorbed  in 
contemplation  of  the  statue. 

"  Does  she  live  here,  and  is  she  to  be  seen  ?  "  she  said, 
suddenly  interrupting  his  flow  of  eloquence. 

"  I  think,  madame,  you  ^\\\\  give  yourself  useless  trou- 
ble in  trying  to  make  her  acquaintance,"  replied  Jansen, 
dryly.  "  The  lady  lives  in  a  very  retired  way,  and  I 
doubt—" 

"  Very  well,  very  well,  I  understand  ;  you  are  miserly 
with  your  treasures,  and  want  to  keep  the  most  beautiful 
to  yourself.  Unfortunately,  it  is  impossible  to  be  angry 
with  anything  genius  does  !  Present  my  compliments  to 
the  charming,  mysterious  original,  and  tell  her — but  who 
is  that  playing  up-stairs  ?  " 

At  this  moment  they  heard  Rosenbusch's  flute,  which 
had  been  playing  a  light  prelude  for  some  time,  strike  up 
a  grand  bravura  movement  with  all  the  power  and  feel- 
ing of  which  its  owner  was  capable. 


268  ^N    PARADISE. 

Jansen  gave  Felix  a  meaning  look.  Then  he  told  as 
much  about  Rosenbusch  as  was  necessary  to  excite  the 
lady's  curiosity.  Upon  taking  leave,  she  gave  the  master 
and  his  pupil  an  invitation  for  that  evening. 

"  You  must  come,"  she  said  ;  "  to  be  sure,  I  haven't 
mLUch  to  offer  you,  especially  no  such  beautiful  women  as 
you  are  accustomed  to.  But  we  shall  have  music — you 
love  music,  too,  don't  you  ?  And,  for  the  rest,  you  must 
be  contented  with  what  we  can  do  for  you.  I  live  in  the 
hotel ;  a  bird  of  passage  never  has  a  comfortable  nest. 
But  only  come  to  Moscow  some  time  ;  I  own  a  few  good 
old  pictures  and  some  sculptures  there.  Will  you  ?  We 
will  talk  of  this  again.  Well,  good-by  until  this  evening. 
Here  is  my  address,  in  case  you  should  be  as  forgetful  as 
geniuses  and  friends  of  beautiful  women  generally  are. 
Au  revoir  !  " 

She  gave  Jansen  her  card  and  a  shake  of  the  hand, 
bowed  cordially  to  Felix,  and  left  the  studio,  followed  by 
her  two  adjutants. 

"  Our  rat-catcher  has  made  a  lucky  hit  again,"  laughed 
Jansen,  as  they  heard  the  strangers  going  up-stairs  ;  and 
immediately  afterward  the  flute  stopped  in  the  room 
above.  "  When  I  have  visitors,  he  invariably  becomes 
musical,  in  order  to  remind  them  that  there  are  other 
people  living  in  the  top  story.  This  time  I  am  especially 
grateful  to  him.  Upon  my  word,  my  patience  and  polite- 
ness were  put  to  a  hard  test." 

"  You  are  right ;  the  professor  certainly  was  a  tough 
morsel,"  interrupted  Felix.  "But,  as  for  the  lady — al- 
though I  know  enough  of  her  kind  not  to  be  deceived — 
still,  for  all  that,  it  is  a  game  of  the  sex  that  one  never 
fails  to  follow  Avith  interest." 

"  A  charming  game  !  "  cried  Jansen,  and  his  face  dark- 


IN    PARADISE.  269 

ened.  "  I  would  rather  see  the  most  stolid  Esquimaux  or 
Hottentot  standing  before  my  works  than  one  of  these 
highly-cultured,  artificially-excited  devotees  of  art,  hun- 
gry for  emotion — seeking  in  everything  nothing  but  their 
own  gratification,  and  worrying  a  really  earnest  man  to 
death  by  their  conceited  coquetry  with  all  that  he  holds 
most  sacred.  There  is  nothing  which  will  awe  them  into 
silence,  or  even  make  them  forget  themselves.  Just  as 
they  interest  themselves  in  living  creatures  only  so  far  as 
they  tend  to  increase  their  own  importance,  so  all  works 
of  art  exist  for  them  only  so  far  as  they  can  be  made  of 
use  in  setting  off  their  beloved  ego.  This  same  woman 
visited  me  once  before,  a  good  while  ago,  and  I  was  so 
rude  to  her  that  I  hoped  I  had  shaken  her  off  forever. 
But  even  rudeness  excites  these  blase  women  of  the  world, 
just  as  Pumpernickel  does  the  palate  when  one  has  been 
eating  too  much  sugar-cake.  In  reality,  she  cares  as  little 
for  sculpture  as  for  anything  else  ;  unless,  perhaps,  the 
study  of  the  nude  interests  her.  And  she  is  here  in  Mu- 
nich in  search  of  very  different  things — trying  to  gain 
proselytes  for  the  new  school  of  music." 

"  I  can't  help  thinking  you  are  rather  unjust  to  her. 
The  very  fact  that  she  feels  a  respect  for  you,  and  even  a 
sort  of  secret  fear,  shows  that  you  interest  her.  That  is 
one  thing  I  like  about  these  women  ;  they  are  strongly  at- 
tracted by  anything  that  represents  power,  and  is  capable 
of  producing  something." 

"  Yes,"  laughed  Jansen,  "  until  this  power  humbles  it- 
self to  be  a  foot-stool  for  their  restless  little  feet ;  then  it 
will  be  thrown  aside.  No,  my  dear  fellow,  the  only  rea- 
son these  comets  are  not  more  particular  is  because  they 
are  forced  to  keep  adding  to  their  tails  ;  I'd  be  willing  to 
bet  that  even  our  harmless  little  Rosebud  will  not  be 


270  IN    PARADISE. 

thought  too  insignificant  to  be  enrolled  in  her  body -guard 
But  let  her  do  whatever  she  likes — what  difference  does  it 
make  to  us  ?  But  where  have  you  been  hiding  yourself 
these  last  few  days  '?  and  what  is  the  matter  with  you 
now  ?  You  are  staring  at  the  Russian's  visiting-card  as 
if  your  senses  had  suddenly  been  spirited  away  to  Si- 
beria ! " 

"  It  is  nothing,"  stammered  Felix,  putting  down  the 
card  again.  He  had  read  the  name  of  the  hotel  on  it ;  it 
happened  to  be  the  same  one  in  which  Irene  was  stopping, 

"  '  Countess  Nelida  F ; '  I  assure  you  I  never  heard 

the  name  before.     Ai-e  you  going  to-night  ?  " 

"  Possibly,  unless  something  should  happen  to  prevent. 
It  is  a  matter  of  perfect  indifference  to  me  now  with  what 
sort  of  people  I  mix,  since  I — " 

He  hesitated.  His  eye  glanced  involuntarily  toward 
the  statuette.     Then,  after  a  pause,  he  said  : 

"  Listen  :  all  sorts  of  things  have  happened  since  we 
last  met.  Don't  you  notice  any  change  in  me  ?  I  thought 
I  must  have  grown  ten  years  younger." 

Felix  looked  at  him  searchingly. 

"  That  could  make  no  one  happier  than  it  would  me, 
old  Daedalus.  And,  since  we  are  on  the  subject,  it  has 
somewhat  depressed  me  to  find — I  must  out  with  it — a 
different  man  from  the  friend  I  left  ten  years  ago.  I  al- 
ways thought  it  must  be  ray  fault  that  made  you  so  much 
more  reserved  and  distant  toward  me  than  you  used  to  be. 
If  you  would  only  be  the  same  old  fellow  again — but 
mayn't  I  know  what  has  brought  this  about  ?  " 

"  Not  yet,"  answered  the  sculptor,  seizing  the  hand 
Felix  held  out  to  him,  and  pressing  it  with  evident  emo- 
tion. "  I  haven't  got  permission  yet,  much  as  the  secret 
burns  in  my  breast.     But,  take  my  word  for  it,  my  dear 


IN    PARADISE.  271 

fellow,  all  will  come  right  now.  I  tell  you  miracles  and 
wonders  still  happen  ;  a  withered  sta£E  burgeons  and 
flourishes,  and  is  filled  once  more  with  green  sap  and  white 
blossoms.  The  winter  was  a  little  long,  and  no  wonder 
that  even  you  felt  the  cold." 

A  knock  on  the  door  interrupted  him.  They  heard 
the  voice  of  the  battle-painter  outside,  eagerly  demand- 
ing admission. 

Jansen  drew  the  bolts  which,  in  his  disgust,  he  had 
fastened  behind  the  aesthetical  professor,  and  let  Rosen- 
buscli  in. 

"  Well !  "  cried  he  to  his  friend,  "  what  do  you  say  to 
this  divine  creature?  Hasn't  she  been  making  herself 
agreeable  to  you  too?  A  woman  of  the  gods,  by  my 
life  !  How  she  hits  the  nail  on  the  head  with  every  word, 
draws  out  the  most  secret  thoughts  of  the  soul,  so  that 
one  has  only  to  keep  his  ears  and  mouth  open,  and  always 
nod  an  affirmative  !  There  isn't  a  horseshoe  in  all  my 
Battle  of  Ltltzen  about  which  she  didn't  show  a  profound 
knowledge  ;  and  if  she  remains  in  Munich  any  length  of 
time,  she  says  she  shall  visit  me  often,  so  as  to  watch 
me  at  my  work.  I  am  on  the  only  true  road,  she  said  ; 
art  is  action,  passion,  excitement — a  battle  for  life  and 
death,  and  other  things  of  the  sort,  which  she  actually 
seemed  to  snatch  from  my  mouth.  A  devilish  smart 
woman,  and  her  traveling  companion  also  seems  to  be  a 
first-rate  judge  of  art.  Of  course  you  have  been  invited 
to  the  musical  soiree  this  evening.  She  wants  me  to 
bring  my  flute  with  me  ;  but  I  sha'n't  be  such  a  fool  as  to 
expose  myself  before  this  northern  Semiramis.  What  are 
you  laughing  at  ?  " 

"  We  are  only  laughing  at  the  rapid  progress  of  this 
friend  of  art  in  discovering  what  fits  the  occasion.    Down 


272  IN    PARADISE. 

here  she  declared  that  true  art  was  repose.  A  flight 
higher  and  the  sight  of  the  Battle  of  Liitzen  caused  a 
new  light  to  be  thrown  on  the  subject,  and  she  finds  that 
art  is  nothing  but  turmoil  and  excitement.  You  have 
effected  a  speedy  conversion,  Rosenbusch.  If  it  is  only  as 
permanent  as  speedy  !  " 

For  once  the  battle-painter  failed  to  see  the  humor  of 
the  thing. 

"  All  the  same,"  he  said  ;  "  I  am  devilish  anxious  to 
continue  this  acquaintance.  Why  shouldn't  a  talented 
woman  be  many-sided  ?  So  this  evening  at  eight  o'clock 
I  will  call  for  you,  baron.  What  a  pity  that  I  should 
have  shaved  oif  my  beard  and  cropped  my  hair  just  at 
this  time  !  I  should  have  been  much  more  imposing  with 
my  former  romantic  head  than  in  this  bald,  Philistine 
guise.  However,  if  the  spirit  is  only  unshorn  and  free — 
and  in  any  case  my  velvet  jacket  will  carry  me  through  ! " 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Punctually  at  eight  o'clock  Rosenbusch  made  his 
appearance  at  Felix's  lodgings.  He  was  arrayed  with  a 
gorgeousness  such  as  he  only  assumed  on  the  most  extraor- 
dinary occasions.  It  is  true,  picturesque  lights  played 
in  the  folds  of  his  violet  velvet  jacket,  indicative  of  the 
extreme  age  of  its  material ;  but  those  who  knew  that 
this  garment,  as  was  authentically  proved  by  the  records, 
was  cut  from  the  robe  of  state  worn  by  an  historical 
Countess  of  Tilly,  regarded  it  with  reverence,  especially 
as  it  was  exceedingly  becoming  to  its  present  red-cheeked 


IN    PARADISE.  273 

wearer.  About  his  neck  he  had  wound  a  spotlessly  white 
cambric  necktie,  tied  in  a  delicate  knot.  His  white  waist- 
coat was,  to  be  sure,  a  little  yellowed,  and  his  black 
trousers  were  a  little  shiny  in  places ;  but  when  he  en- 
tered his  friend's  room  with  an  elastic  step,  carrying  his 
tall,  antiquated  cylinder  hat  under  his  arm,  and  swing- 
ing a  pair  of  tolerably  white  kid  gloves  in  one  hand,  he 
cut,  upon  the  whole,  such  an  excellent  figure  that  Felix 
felt  called  upon  to  say  something  flattering  concerning  his 
toilet. 

"  One  must  maintain  the  honor  of  his  station,  and 
prove  to  the  world  that  the  tailor  ought  to  learn  from 
the  artist,  and  not  the  reverse,"  replied  the  painter,  with 
great  solemnity,  stopping  before  the  glass  and  endeavor- 
ing to  give  a  bolder  wave  to  his  cropped  hair. 

"  Now  you,"  he  continued,  "  haven't  by  any  means 
got  rid  of  the  baron  yet.  Take  my  word  for  it,  clothes 
really  do  make  the  man.  One  is  a  very  different  kind  of 
fellow  in  his  shirt-sleeves  or  in  a  blouse,  than  in  one  of 
the  elegant,  pinched-up  monkey-jackets  of  the  latest  style. 
Doesn't  every  one  of  us  play  a  role  f  Now  just  ask  El- 
finger  whether  the  true  spirit  of  the  role  doesn't  lie  in 
the  costume  of  the  actor.  I,  for  example,  in  a  coat  that 
any  Tom  or  Dick  could  wear,  should  feel  myself  so  low- 
ered to  their  level  that  I  shouldn't  want  to  take  a  brush 
in  my  hand.  But  dressed  as  I  am,  even  in  my  company 
toilet,  I  can  shout  ancK  io  as  lustily  as  far  greater  people. 
But  you  show  no  signs  of  getting  ready.  What  do  you 
say  to  making  a  sensation  by  coming  late  ?  " 

Felix  had  had  time  to  relapse  once  more  into  his  mel- 
ancholy mood.  He  answered  that  he  had  had  disagree- 
able news  from  home,  and  was  in  no  humor  for  going 
into  company.  Rosenbusch  must  excuse  him  ;  besides,  it 
18 


274  ^y^    PARADISE. 

would  make  no  difference  to  the  countess  whether  an  un- 
known beginner — 

"  What !  "  cried  the  battle-painter,  "  you  are  going  to 
leave  me  to  go  alone  to  the  enchanted  garden  of  this  Ar- 
mida,  while  all  the  time  I  have  been  counting  on  you  to 
save  me  in  case  of  necessity  !  Jansen  is  sure  to  come  late 
in  any  case,  even  if  he  decides  to  go  at  all.  No,  my  dear 
fellow,  you  know  I  expend  such  unheard-of  courage  on 
canvas,  that  not  much  remains  to  me  for  the  salon.  So, 
back  to  back,  shoulder  to  shoulder,  with  a  friend  and 
companion-in-arms,  or  I  will  crawl  into  the  first  violon- 
cello-case I  come  to,  and  bring  disgrace  upon  the  Para- 
dise Club." 

He  forced  Felix,  who  half  laughed  and  half  protested, 
to  make  his  toilet,  and  then  dragged  him  out  with  him, 
holding  tightly  to  his  arm  even  after  they  were  in  the 
street,  as  though  he  still  feared  that  he  might  try  to  give 
him  the  slip.  At  heart  Felix  was  glad  to  be  forced.  He 
was  secretly  ashamed  of  his  fear  to  enter,  even  on  a  day 
when  she  was  absent,  the  house  where  his  old  sweetheart 
was  living;  but  now  all  the  dei^ression  which  had  weighed 
upon  him  ever  since  he  found  out  she  was  in  the  city  left 
him  in  the  company  of  his  merry  friend,  and  the  latter's 
account  of  his  latest  adventures  as  rejected  suitor  and 
happy  lover  put  him  in  the  most  cheerful  humor.  He 
rallied  the  artist  upon  his  flighty  heart,  which,  instead  of 
dreading  the  fire  like  a  burned  child,  wanted  to  singe 
itself  in  this  new  flame ;  all  of  which  Rosenbusch  re- 
ceived with  a  quiet  sigh. 

"  The  fact  is,"  he  said,  "  a  countess  like  this  is  not 
so  very  dangerous.  It  goes  without  saying,  that  in  all  in- 
tercourse with  her  one  must  respect  certain  limits  when 
one  is  a  poor  fool  of  a  painter  who  has  to  let  himself  be 


7.V    PARADISE.  275 

snubbed  even  by  a  glove-maker.  But  if,  on  the  other 
hand,  a  female  demon  like  this  should  really  take  it  into 
her  head  to  elope  with  one  of  my  sort  to  Italy  or  Siberia, 
let  us  say — well,  she  will  know  what  she  is  about ;  and  in 
the  mean  time  we  can  let  things  go  as  Heaven  wills." 

Amid  talk  of  this  sort  they  had  reached  the  hotel,  in 
the  first  story  of  which  a  row  of  lighted  windows  had 
already  shown  them  where  the  female  autocrat  of  all  the 
arts  was  holding  her  court.  Felix  pulled  his  hat  down 
lower  over  his  forehead,  and  sprang  up  the  stairs  so  rap- 
idly that  Rosenbusch  was  left  behind  breathless. 

"  You  are  an  extraordinary  fellow  !  "  he  cried,  laugh- 
ing, after  he  had  overtaken  him  at  the  top.  "  It  takes 
a  good  deal  of  diplomacy  to  get  you  started,  but  once 
started,  you  can't  get  there  soon  enough." 

Felix  made  no  reply,  for  just  then  a  servant  opened  a 
side-door  and  they  entered  a  spacious  salon,  which  re- 
sounded with  the  last  notes  of  one  of  Chopin's  nocturnes, 
with  which  the  hostess  herself  had  opened  the  soiree. 

A  rather  mixed  company  was  grouped  about  the 
piano,  mostly  young  people  with  long  hair  and  pale  faces, 
of  the  music-of-the-future  sort ;  mingled  with  these  a  few 
diplomatists,  officers,  journalists,  and  people  without  any 
other  profession  than  that  of  knowing  everybody  and  be- 
ing introduced  everywhere.  The  professor  of  cesthetics 
advanced  to  meet  the  new  arrivals  with  a  sort  of  host-like 
cordiality,  and  shook  hands  with  them.  He  wore  an  old- 
fashioned  blue  dress-coat  with  gold  buttons,  a  yellow 
pique  waistcoat,  white  summer  trousers,  and  a  stiff,  black 
cravat,  that  compelled  him  to  keep  his  chin  perpetually 
thrown  up.  Stephanopulos  emerged  from  the  crowd  of 
enthusiastic  courtiers  in  order  to  welcome  the  guests, 
which  he  too  did  as  if  he  felt  himself  quite  at  home. 


276  IN    PARADISE. 

But  now  the  dense  circle  divided,  and  the  countess  her- 
self swept  up  to  the  new-comers. 

She  had  made  an  exceedingly  becoming  toilet — a  dark 
dress  of  light  material,  that  left  bare  her  shoulders,  which 
were  still  youthful  in  appearance;  and  a  Venetian  point- 
lace  veil,  thrown  with  studied  carelessness  about  her  head, 
and  fastened  on  one  side  by  a  fresh,  dark-red  rose.  The 
dead  white  of  her  cheeks  looked  more  blooming  than 
usual  in  the  warm  light  of  the  candles,  and  her  keen, 
piercing  eyes  and  white  teeth  vied  with  one  another  in 
brilliancy. 

"  I  am  so  glad  you  have  kept  your  word,"  she  ex- 
claimed to  the  young  men,  giving  one  of  her  soft  little 
hands  to  each  of  them.  "  I  hope,  too,  your  talented  friend 
and  master  will  also  find  his  way  here  ;  and  you  shall 
not  regret  having  come.  To  be  sure,  I  told  you  be- 
forehand you  must  be  contented  with  what  your  ears 
would  let  you  enjoy.  Still,  your  eyes  sha'n't  go  away 
quite  unsatisfied.  Come,  I  will  show  you  something 
beautiful." 

She  took  Felix's  arm,  and,  talking  rapidly  all  the  time, 
led  him  to  the  other  end  of  the  salon.  In  a  corner,  on  a 
semicircular  sofa,  sat  several  mothers  and  duennas,  and  in 
the  chairs  on  either  side  perhaps  a  half  dozen  young  girls, 
all  belonging  to  the  stage  or  the  music-school,  engaged 
in  earnest  conversation  with  some  young  musicians  about 
the  latest  opera  and  the  last  concert.  A  little  to  one  side 
of  them  a  group  of  elderly  gentlemen  could  be  seen  gath- 
ered about  a  slight,  youthful  figure,  who  sat  near  a  little 
flower-stand,  and  who  appeared  to  be  listening  in  rather  an 
absent  way  to  a  white-haired  little  man,  who  was  giving 
a  long  disquisition  on  Bach's  Passion-Music.  Her  back 
was  turned  toward  the  side  from  which  the  countess  ap- 


IN    PARADISE.  277 

preached  with  Felix.  Now,  upon  hearing  the  hostess's 
voice,  she  turned  with  much  dignity. 

"  Allow  me,  7na  toute  telle,  to  introduce  to  you  Baron 
von  Weiblingen  and  Herr  Rosenbusch,"  said  the  countess. 
"  The  gentlemen  are  artists,  dear  Irene  ;  Herr  Rosen- 
busch is  a  painter  and  musician. — You  have  brought  your 
flute,  haven't  you  ?  " 

The  painter  exhausted  himself  in  assurances  of  his  in- 
ability to  produce  his  sounds  of  Nature,  as  he  called  them, 
for  any  ears  but  his  own  ;  but  the  countess  had  already 
turned  to  Felix  again. 

"  Did  I  say  too  much  ? "  she  whispered,  loud  enough 
for  the  Fraulein  to  hear  her.  "  Isn't  she  charming  ?  But 
your  silence  says  enough.  Happy  youth  !  For  a  wom- 
an's ears  there  is  no  sweeter  music  than  such  silence, 
■when  she  herself  is  the  cause  of  it.  I  leave  you  to  your 
enchantment ;  bonne  chance  !  " 

She  tapped  his  arm  lightly  with  her  black  fan,  nod- 
ded slyly  to  the  beautiful  girl,  and  disappeared  once  more 
in  the  crowd  about  the  piano. 

The  old  gentleman,  a  musical  amateur  of  the  old 
school  whom  the  countess  hoped  to  convert  to  the  new 
movement,  had  withdraw^n  upon  the  approach  of  the 
young  men.  Rosenbusch  took  advantage  of  the  moment 
to  make  his  boAvs  as  gracefully  as  possible,  and  to  open 
the  conversation  by  asking  how  the  gracious  Fraulein 
liked  Munich.  Then,  upon  turning  round  to  give  Felix  a 
chance  to  say  something,  he  discovered  to  his  gi'eat  sur- 
prise that  the  latter  had  withdrawn  into  one  of  the  win- 
dow niches,  from  which  he  vanished  a  few  minutes  after. 
"  What  devil  has  got  into  our  young  baron  ? "  thought 
Rosenbusch,  It  seemed  to  him  out  of  all  propriety  to 
abruptly  turn   one's   back  on    a  charming    young  lady. 


278  ^^    PARADISE. 

However,  he  determined  to  take  advantage  of  this  oppor- 
tunity to  show  himself  in  a  still  more  favorable  light,  for 
the  Fraulein  pleased  him. 

She  was  very  simply  dressed,  which  fact,  however, 
only  served  to  contrast  her  advantageously  with  the 
others,  with  their  silks  and  showy  ornaments.  The  ex- 
cursion that  "was  to  have  lasted  several  days  had  been 
shortened,  for  the  old  countess  had  been  seized  with  an 
attack  of  neuralgia,  and  Irene  had  scarcely  reached  home 
when  she  was  taken  possession  of  by  her  fellow-lodger 
for  this,  as  the  latter  had  assured  her,  entirely  improvised 
soiree,  for  which  there  was  no  need  to  make  any  great 
toilet.  Her  uncle  had  fled  to  a  gentlemen's  club.  It  was 
impossible  for  her  to  refuse  the  invitation. 

In  truth,  it  was  a  matter  of  j^erfect  indifference  to  her 
into  what  company  she  went.  What  did  she  care  for  any 
strange  faces  since  the  one  which  was  dearest  to  her  had 
become  a  stranger  ?  And  she  had  not  had  the  faintest 
suspicion  that  she  should  meet  him  here. 

And  now  she  stood  opposite  him,  and  the  only  look 
that  was  exchanged  between  them  showed  her  that  he 
had  come  into  her  presence  not  less  unexpectedly. 

A  violin  concerto,  which,  to  Rosenbusch's  great  dis- 
gust, interrupted  him  in  an  eloquent  description  of  the 
pleasant  summer  weather  in  the  Bavarian  mountains,  gave 
her  time  to  collect  her  thoughts  and  to  recover  herself  so 
far,  at  least,  as  not  to  betray  by  her  manner  the  emotions 
that  were  at  strife  within  her.  But  what  would  come 
next — what  she  ought  to  do — was  no  clearer  to  her  now, 
when  the  last  tones  of  the  violins  were  dying  away,  than 
in  the  first  few  minutes. 

"My  friend  the  baron  has  suddenly  disappeared," 
Rosenbusch  now  began  again.     "  You  must  have  got  a 


IN    PARADISE.  279 

curious  impression  of  him  ;  for,  upon  my  word,  he  stood 
before  you  like  a  painted  Turk,  as  they  say  here  in  Mu- 
nich. I'll  eat  my  head  if  I  can  understand  why  he  sud- 
denly became  such  a  stick.  He  is  generally  a  devilish 
jolly  fellow,  and  not  at  all  bashful  in  the  presence  of 
ladies." 

"  He  is — your  friend  ?  "  she  asked,  in  an  almost  inau- 
dible voice. 

"  We  have  known  each  other  for  several  weeks,  and 
you  know,  until  one  has  eaten  salt  with  a  man — in  the 
mean  time,  I  imagine  I  think  more  of  him  than  he  does 
of  your  humble  servant." 

"  Your  friend — is  also  an  artist  ?  " 

"Most  certainly,  Fraulein.  He  has  devoted  himself 
to  sculpture  under  the  instruction  of  his  old  fi'iend,  the 
celebrated  Jansen.  Hoav  he  suddenly  came  to  do  it,  no 
one  knoAvs.  Don't  you,  too,  think  he  looks  more  like  a 
cavalier  ?  At  all  events  there  is  something  so  romantic, 
interesting,  and  Lord  Byronish  about  him  that  I  should 
not  wonder  at  all  if  he  found  tremendous  favor  with  the 
women.  I  beg  pardon,  if  I  have  expressed  myself  too 
freely," 

He  grew  red  and  plucked  at  his  cuffs.  She  appeared 
to  take  no  offense  at  his  forcible  style,  but  merely  asked 
again,  in  the  most  indifferent  tone  : 

"  You  think  he  has  no  talent  ?  " 

"  How  much  talent  he  has,  God  only  knows,"  replied 
his  friend  candidly.  "  But  one  thing  is  certain,  a  gigan- 
tic courage  and  a  devilish  deal  of  perseverance  are  re- 
quired of  one  who  ventures  to  take  up  with  sculpture 
nowadays.  You  wouldn't  believe,  Fraulein,  how  difficult 
it  is — in  this  profession  of  all  others — to  find  the  means 
with  which  to  mount  to  the  source,  in  this  strait-laced 


280  I^    PARADISE. 

civilization  of  ours,  with  its  conventional  prejudices.  The 
days  when  three  goddesses  did  not  think  it  improper  to 
get  a  certificate  of  their  beauty  from  a  royal  goatherd — 
I  beg  a  thousand  pardons,  I  always  do  wax  warm  when  I 
think  of  our  wretched  art-condition,  and  then  I  blurt  out 
whatever  comes  into  my  head.  This  much  is  certain  :  if 
my  friend  has  allowed  himself  to  be  induced  merely  by 
his  love  of  beauty  to  become  an  artist,  instead  of  living 
on  his  estates,  he  will  find  he  has  reckoned  without  his 
host  even  here  in  Munich.  There  are  charming  girls  here, 
to  be  sure  ; — seen  on  the  street  as  they  sweep  by  in  their 
coquettish  costumes,  with  their  little  hats  and  chignons, 
one  might  almost  be  tempted  to  sell  one's  soul  to  the  devil 
out  of  pure  delight — but  when  one  comes  to  examine  them 
by  a  stronger  light — " 

The  Fraulein  all  at  once  seemed  to  discover  that  her 
presence  was  imperatively  required  opposite,  where  the 
music  pupils  were  sitting.  She  rose  hastily,  bowed  coldly 
to  the  astonished  artist,  and  approached  one  of  the  young 
ladies  Avith  the  question  whether  she  too  did  not  find  it 
very  warm. 

Rosenbusch  gazed  upon  her  with  open  mouth.  A  sus- 
picion dawned  in  his  innocent  brain  that  perhaps  his  con- 
versation had  appeared  rather  too  free-and-easy  to  this 
young  lady.  He  could  not  understand  this,  and  laid  it  to 
the  score  of  her  North  German  education.  He  ])ad  talked 
in  a  similar  way  with  his  countrywomen  at  balls,  Avithout 
arousing  any  special  displeasure.  Now  he  slunk  pensively 
away  from  the  flower-stand,  just  as  a  promising  amateur 
began  to  perform  one  of  Bach's  preludes.  Slipping  quietly 
along,  and  keeping  close  to  the  wall,  he  succeeded  in 
reaching  the  adjoining  room,  which  was  dimly  lighted, 
without  attracting  attention.     A  lady's-maid   had   been 


IN    PARADISE.  281 

making  tea  there.  The  national  samovar  was  still  singing 
on  the  little  table,  as  though  secretly  accompanying  the 
playing  outside.  But  in  the  doorway  stood  Felix,  his 
gaze,  piercing  through  all  the  crowd  and  confusion,  fixed 
upon  one  particular  spot. 

He  started  as  the  battle-painter's  hand  Avas  laid  softly 
on  his  shoulder,  and  scowled  angrily.  Rosenbusch  thought 
he  did  not  wish  to  be  disturbed  while  listening  to  the 
music,  and  kept  as  still  as  a  mouse  as  long  as  the  prelude 
lasted.  He  himself  did  not  care  for  Bach.  He  was,  as 
he  expressed  it,  too  "  cyclopean  "  for  him.  He  preferred 
something  melting  or  merry.  So  he  spent  the  time  in 
looking  about  the  room,  and  was  astonished  to  see  on  an 
easel  near  the  window,  in  a  sufiiciently  good  light  to  at- 
tract attention,  that  cartoon  of  the  Bride  of  Corinth  which 
had  brought  so  little  honor  to  Stephanopulos  in  "  Para- 
dise." The  burned  corner  had  not  yet  been  repaired,  so 
that  the  singular  picture  made  a  still  more  "weird  impres- 
sion among  its  elegant  surroundings. 

How  came  it  here  ?  Who  could  have  brought  it  to 
the  countess  ?  Could  it  be  that  the  young  sinner  him- 
self had  lent  a  helping  hand  in  getting  it  for  her  ?  His 
name  stood  in  the  corner  that  had  been  spared  by  the 
fire.  It  was  possible  that  the  honest  finder,  whom  Ro- 
senbusch caught  in  flagranti  that  night  in  the  "  Paradise  " 
garden,  had  returned  it  to  the  artist  ;  that  the  countess 
had  seen  it  in  his  studio,  and  thought  that  it  would  be 
piquant  to  exhibit  a  drawing  in  her  house  which  had  been 
condemned  by  the  male  critics  on  account  of  its  lack  of 
modesty.     Oh,  these  countesses  ! — these  Russians  ! 

The  door  leading  to  a  third  room  was  also  standing 
open — to  no  less  a  sanctum  than  the  sleeping  -  cham- 
ber of  the  lady  of  the  house.     A  hanging-lamp  was  sus- 


283  I^    PARADISE. 

pended  within,  whose  light  streamed  through  a  rose-col- 
ored shade,  casting  its  dreamy  rays  upon  the  furniture, 
and  upon  the  bed  hung  with  embroidered  muslin.  Near 
the  bed,  in  an  arm-chair,  a  woman's  figure  reclined,  mo- 
tionless, so  that  it  could  only  be  discerned  with  difficulty 
by  a  person  outside.  But  Rosenbusch,  who  was  to-day 
in  one  of  his  reckless  moods,  had  already  advanced  several 
steps  into  the  sanctum,  when  he  suddenly  saw  two  pierc- 
ing eyes  fixed  upon  him.  He  felt  as  if  he  had  encoun- 
tered the  glowing  eyes  of  a  cat  in  the  dark.  Confusedly 
stammering  an  apology,  he  bowed  to  the  silent  unknown, 
and  hastily  beat  a  retreat  into  the  front  room. 

In  the  mean  while  the  playing  had  come  to  an  end, 
and  the  salon  resounded  once  more  with  a  confusion  of 
voices  in  all  tongues  and  dialects  ;  but  still  Felix  stood 
there,  solitary  and  unapproachable,  as  if  no  one  among 
all  who  surrounded  him  knew  how  to  speak  his  lan- 
guage. 

"You  don't  seem  inclined  to  be  particularly  gallant," 
he  now  heard  the  cheerful  voice  of  the  battle-painter  re- 
mark ;  "  or  was  it  merely  because  you  didn't  want  to  cut 
me  out  that  you  refrained  from  engaging  in  any  further 
conversation  with  that  splendid  Friiulein  ?  If  you  had 
looked  closer  at  her,  you  would  hardly  have  been  capable 
of  such  rather  insulting  magnanimity  toward  my  poor 
self.  A  perfectly  splendid  girl,  I  assure  you  ;  very  ex- 
clusive, intellectual  and  amiable  ;  and  without  wanting  to 
flatter  myself,  I  really  believe  I  didn't  give  her  a  bad  im- 
pression of  the  Munich  artists.  If  I  were  not  so  wholly 
engaged  already —  But,  by-the-way,  have  you  seen  what 
is  standing  over  there,  on  the  easel  ?  That  Stephanopu- 
los  ! — just  look  at  him  over  there,  half  sprawling  over  the 
piano^how  he  follows  the  countess  with  his  eyes,  all  the 


IN    PARADISE.  283 

while,  with  a  face  like  an  Ecce  Homo  of  Mount  Athos  ! 
A  devilish  queer  kind  of  fellow  !  " 

"  Did  she  inquire  about  me  ?  "  interrupted  Felix,  sud- 
denly starting  out  of  his  brooding.  He  passed  his  hand 
over  his  forehead,  on  which  the  cold  perspiration  had 
started,  and  drew  a  long  breath.  Just  at  that  moment 
Irene's  slender  figure  glided  out  of  the  salon  in  spite  of 
the  countess's  earnest  attempts  to  detain  her. 

"  Inquire  after  you  ?  "  repeated  the  artist.  "  Of  course 
she  did.  Such  a  dumb  cavalier,  who  immediately  van- 
ishes into  obscurity,  couldn't  help  exciting  a  woman's 
curiosity." 

"  And  what — what  did  you  say  about  me  ?  "  eagerly 
inquired  Felix. 

"I  excused  you  as  well  as  I  could,  saying  that  you 
were  generally  much  more  gallant  toward  ladies." 

"  Thank  you.  You  are  really  very  kind,  Rosenbusch. 
And  she — what  did  she  say  to  that  ?  " 

"Why,  what  could  she  say?  She  didn't  appear  to 
feel  in  the  least  offended.  Very  likely  she  thought  her 
beauty  had  rather  struck  you  dumb — no  woman  is  of- 
fended at  that.  Don't  tell  me  I  don't  understand  women ! 
And  then  I  talked  to  her  about  sculpture —  But,  upon 
my  word,  here  comes  Jansen.  I  must  go  and  say  good- 
evening  to  him." 


CHAPTER    IX. 

It  was  late  when  Jansen  arrived.     He  had,  as  usual, 

been  spending  the  evening  with  Julie  ;  and  had  then 
escorted  Angelica  home,  who  complained  afresh  each  time 
that  she  was  compelled  to  be  a  restraint  upon  two  lovers. 


284  IN   PARADISE. 

But  Julie  insisted  upon  being  "  matronized  "  by  her  dur- 
ing the  year  of  probation,  and  so  she  submitted,  and  knew 
bow  to  conduct  herself  so  sensibly  that  the  very  fact  of 
her  presence  gave  the  peculiar  charm  of  suppressed  emo- 
tion to  these  happy  hours.  The  after-glow  of  it  still 
shone  upon  Jansen's  face  as  he  entered  the  salon.  A 
sudden  stillness  ensued  ;  all  looked  at  him  ;  but  he  seemed 
hardly  to  see  any  one  but  his  hostess,  whom  he  greeted 
with  a  shake  of  the  hand.  She  received  him  with  studied 
cordiality,  immediately  took  exclusive  possession  of  him, 
and  merely  chided  him  for  arriving  so  late  by  an  allusion 
to  older  and  higher  duties  which  had  a  prior  claim  upon 
him. 

"  Now  don't  deny  it,"  she  said,  smiling.  "  It  cost  you 
a  heroic  struggle  to  tear  yourself  away  at  all.  It  is  true 
a  man  seldom  finds  it  at  all  difficult  to  leave  one  woman 
in  order  to  go  to  another  ;  but  when  he  is  forced  to  leave 
a  beauty  in  the  lurch,  in  order  to  pay  a  little  attention 
to  an  old  woman,  one  cannot  estimate  the  sacrifice  too 
highly." 

"  You  are  mistaken,  countess,"  he  laughingly  replied. 
"  I  have  been  forced  to  tear  myself  away,  not  from  one 
but  from  two  elderly  women,  as  they  are  fond  of  calling 
themselves — with  just  as  little  reason  and  just  as  little 
seriousness  as  when  you,  countess,  count  yourself  among 
that  class.  But,  if  it  had  really  cost  me  a  sacrifice,  you 
would  have  deserved  it  of  me.  I  know  how  ungratefully 
I  conducted  myself  toward  you  in  former  years.  Yet 
you  haven't  treasured  it  up  against  me." 

"  Unfortunately  there  are  men  with  whom  one  cannot 
be  offended,  no  matter  what  they  do.  lis  le  savent  et  Us 
en  abusent —     But  what  is  that?" 

She  suddenly  broke  off.     Her  sharp  eye  had  seen  that 


IN    PARADISE.  285 

one  of  the  young  ladies  at  the  opposite  end  of  the  room 
had  become  faint,  and  that  the  elder  ones  were  busied 
over  her.  In  a  second  she  was  at  her  side,  noiselessly 
and  swiftly  doing  what  was  necessary.  The  insensible 
girl  was  borne  into  the  sleeping-chamber,  and  soon  came 
to  herself  again.  When  the  countess  returned,  she  said, 
in  passing,  to  Jansen  : 

"  The  poor  child  !  Think  of  practising  nine  hours 
daily,  and  eating  nothing  all  the  while  !  What  exist- 
ences some  people  do  lead  !  "  Then  to  the  others  :  "  The 
Fraulein  feels  better  already.  The  excessive  heat  was 
the  cause  of  her  illness.  Perhaps  if  we  should  turn  down 
the  gas  just  for  a  little  while,  the  temperature  would  be 
somewhat  more  bearable." 

Several  of  the  young  people  hastened  to  execute  this 
hint.  When  the  gas-lights  were  extinguished,  the  candles 
on  the  piano  and  a  lamp  on  the  mantel  over  the  fireplace 
gave  only  a  subdued  light,  so  the  clear  night  sky,  with 
its  moon  and  stars,  shed  its  lustre  through  the  wide-opened 
windows.  In  this  twilight,  every  one  seemed  to  feel  happy 
and  at  ease.  A  young  person,  who  had  previously  been 
entreated  to  sing  in  vain,  now  mustered  up  sufficient  cour- 
age, and  her  sweet,  sympathetic  contralto  voice  sounded 
charmingly  in  the  breathless  stillness.  Jansen  had  seated 
himself  in  a  corner  of  the  sofa  in  the  adjoining  room  ;  it 
did  him  good  to  sit  there  in  the  dim  light,  with  half- 
closed  eyes,  watching  the  play  of  the  shadows  as  they 
passed  before  him,  drinking  in  the  soft  tones  and  think- 
ing all  the  while  upon  his  happiness.  He  spoke  with  no 
one.  Rosenbusch  had  at  first  taken  a  seat  by  his  side ; 
but  as  he  had  received  only  monosyllabic  answers,  he  had 
soon  withdrawn  again.  Felix  had  disappeared  without 
taking  leave  ;  he  could  not  longer  sujjpress  all  that  he 


288  /-A^    PARADISE. 

felt.  And  now  the  scene  in  the  salon  grew  livelier  and 
more  fantastic.  No  one  thought  any  longer  of  playing  an 
entire  piece  of  music.  The  instrument  merely  served  to 
illustrate  this  or  that  assertion,  as  it  came  up  in  the  course 
of  the  confused  conversation  ;  now  a  few  chords  were 
struck,  now  the  hoarse  voice  of  some  composer  hummed 
an  air  in  order  to  explain  some  passage  ;  the  younger 
guests  had  separated  into  little  groups,  and  were  appa- 
rently engaged  in  other  conversation  than  that  relating 
to  art.  In  the  midst  of  all  was  heard  from  time  to  time 
the  high,  thin  voice  of  the  professor,  who  was  continually 
in  search  of  new  victims  for  his  eloquence,  and  button- 
holed now  one  person  and  now  another.  This  intellectual 
exertion  exhausted  him  all  the  less  from  the  fact  that  he 
consumed  an  incredible  quantity  of  the  refreshments  which 
were  handed  about.  After  having  emptied  a  whole  bas- 
ket of  cakes,  he  devoted  himself  persistently  to  the  ices, 
and,  finally,  when,  toward  midnight,  the  champagne  was 
brought  in,  he  seized  a  whole  bottle  out  of  the  waiter's 
hands  and  placed  it  with  his  glass  in  a  little  niche  behind 
a  pillar.  As  he  did  so  the  countess  honored  him  with  a 
cold,  almost  contemptuous  glance,  and  her  lips  curled 
slightly.  The  expression  enhanced  the  beauty  of  her 
face  exceedingly.  Then,  too,  the  dim  light  that  now  pre- 
vailed in  the  room  lent  her  a  strange  charm.  She  looked 
very  much  younger,  and  her  eyes  flashed  sparks  that  were 
still  capable  of  kindling  fire.  Stephanopulos  devoured 
her  with  his  eyes,  and  was  continually  seeking  a  chance 
to  approach  her.  But  she  always  passed  without  noticing 
him  ;  nor  did  she  sit  down  by  Jansen  again.  It  was  easy 
to  see  that  her  mind  was  fixed  upon  something  which  took 
her  thoughts  away  from  all  that  was  going  on  about  her. 
As  it  struck  midnight,  it  so  chanced  that  there  was  a 


7iV    PARADISE.  287 

momentary  hush  in  the  conversation.  The  sesthetical  pi'o- 
fessor  advanced  into  the  middle  of  the  salon,  holding  a 
full  glass  in  his  hand,  and  said  : 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  allow  me  to  propose  a  toast 
to  our  honored  mistress,  in  whose  name  we  are  here  as- 
sembled. I  do  not  mean  by  this  the  gracious  lady,  so 
sincerely  honored  by  us  all,  whose  guests  we  are.  I  have 
praised  her  too  often  not  to  be  willing  to  resign,  for  once, 
to  her  younger  guests  this  privilege  of  an  old  friend.  My 
toast  is  offered  to  a  mistress  even  greater  than  she — to  the 
sublime  art  of  Music,  the  art  of  arts,  whose  supremacy  is 
becoming  more  and  more  acknowledged  and  exalted,  with- 
out envy  by  her  sisters.  May  she,  the  mightiest  of  all 
the  powers  which  move  the  world — thrice  glorious  and 
thrice  holy  Music — live,  flourish,  and  prevail  to  the  end 
of  time  ! " 

Enthusiastic  applause  followed  these  words,  but  even 
the  clinking  of  the  glasses,  and  the  shouts  of  the  different 
voices,  were  drowned  by  a  loud  flourish  which  a  young 
musician  improvised  upon  the  piano.  The  professor,  who 
had  emptied  his  bumper  at  a  draught  and  instantly  filled 
it  again,  now  stepped,  with  a  complacent  smile,  into  the 
cabinet  where  Jansen  sat,  thoughtfully  holding  his  half' 
filled  glass,  from  which  he  had  scarcely  sipped,  as  if  he 
were  counting  the  rising  pearls  v^'ithin  it. 

"My  honored  master,"  he  heard  a  voice  say  at  his 
side,  "we  have  not  yet  touched  glasses  with  one  an- 
other." 

He  quietly  looked  up  at  the  speaker. 

"  Do  you  care  very  much  to  have  your  resolution  passed 
by  a  strictly  unanimous  vote  ?  " 

"  My  resolution  ?  " 

"  I  mean  your  exaltation  of  music  above  all  other  arts. 


288  I^    PARADISE. 

If  it  was  merely  a  polite  phrase  to  catch  the  applause  of 
the  musicians  and  the  devotees  of  music,  I  have  nothing 
to  say  against  it.  It  is  always  expedient  to  howl  with 
the  wolves.  But  in  case  you  expressed  your  real  opinion, 
and  ask  me  now,  on  my  conscience  and  between  ourselves, 
whether  I  share  it,  you  must  permit  me  to  draw  back  my 
glass  in  silence,  and,  if  I  diink,  to  think  my  own  thoughts 
in  so  doing." 

"  Do  what  you  can't  help  doing,  carissimo  ! "  replied 
the  professor,  with  a  thoughtful  nod  of  the  head.  "  I 
know  very  well  that  you  worship  other  gods,  and  only 
esteem  you  the  more  for  having  the  true  artist's  courage 
to  be  one-sided.     To  your  health  !  " 

Jansen  held  his  glass  in  the  same  position,  and  did  not 
seem  in  the  least  inclined  to  approach  it  to  that  of  the 
professoi'. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  to  sink  in  your  estimation,"  he  said, 
"  but  I  am  really  not  quite  so  one-sided  as  you  think.  I 
not  only  love  music,  but  it  is  fairly  necessary  to  my  exist- 
ence ;  and  if  I  am  deprived  of  it  for  any  length  of  time, 
my  spirit  is  as  ill  as  my  body  would  be  if  it  were  forced 
to  go  without  its  bath." 

"  A  strange  comparison  !  " 

"And  yet,  perhaps,  it  is  more  appropriate  than  it 
would  seem  at  first.  Doesn't  a  bath  stimulate  and  excite, 
calm,  or  quicken  the  blood,  wash  away  the  grime  of  every- 
day life  from  the  limbs,  and  soothe  all  manner  of  pain  ? 
But  it  stills  neither  hunger  nor  thirst,  and  he  who  bathes 
too  often  feels  his  nervous  strength  relaxed,  his  blood 
over-excited,  and  his  organs  toned  down  to  a  voluptuous 
languor.  Isn't  it  just  so  with  music  ?  It  is  possible  our 
thanks  are  due  to  her  alone  that  mankind  has  gradually 
lost  its  bestiality,  and  grown  nearer  the  likeness  of  God. 


IN    PARADISE.  289 

But  this  is  equally  certain,  that  men  who  now  carry  this 
enjoyment  to  excess  sink  gradually  into  a  vegetating 
dream-life,  and  that  if  a  time  should  come  when  music 
should  really  be  exalted  as  the  highest  art,  the  highest 
problems  of  humanity  would  remain  unsolved,  and  the 
very  marrow  of  mankind  would  be  forceless  and  feeble, — 
I  know  well,"  he  continued,  without  noticing  that  the 
people  in  the  salon  were  listening  to  his  monologue,  and 
that  gi'oups  of  listeners  had  approached  the  door — "I 
know  well  that  these  are  heresies  which  one  cannot  utter 
in  certain  circles  without  being  stoned  a  little.  Nor  would 
I  care  to  discuss  the  question  with  a  musician,  for  he 
would  scarcely  understand  what  I  really  mean.  The 
effect  of  this  art  '  of  thinking  in  tones '  is  gradually  to 
dissolve  all  that  is  solid  in  the  brain  into  a  softened  mass, 
and  only  the  great,  truly  creative  talents  can  preserve  the 
capacity  and  disposition  for  other  intellectual  interests. 
That  the  highest  masters  of  every  art  stand  on  an  equal- 
ity with  one  another,  I  need  not  say.  As  to  the  others, 
the  expression  which  some  one  used  in  regard  to  lyric 
poets  may  be  justly  used  toward  them — '  They  are  like 
geese  whose  livers  have  been  fattened ;  excellent  livers, 
but  sick  geese.'  How  can  the  b:ilance  of  the  intellectual 
powers  be  preserved,  when  any  one  sits  nine  hours  a  day 
at  an  instrument  and  continually  practises  the  same  exer- 
cises ?  And  for  that  reason  I  should  be  careful  how  I 
tried  to  convince  a  musician  of  the  error  of  his  fanati- 
cism.    But  to  you,  who  are  an  aesthetic  by  profession — " 

He  chanced  to  let  his  eyes  wander  toward  the  door, 
and  broke  off  suddenly.  He  noticed  now,  for  the  first 
time,  before  what  an  audience  he  had  been  speaking.  The 
professor  observed  his  surprise,  and  grinned  maliciously. 

"You  are  talking  to  your  own  destruction,  my  dear 
19 


290  ^^    PARADISE. 

sir,"  he  said,  raising  his  voice.  "  You  might  just  as  well 
declare  in  a  mosque  that  Allah  was  not  Allah,  and  Mo- 
hammed was  not  his  prophet,  as  to  assert  to  this  crowd 
of  enthusiastic  youths  that  there  is  anything  more  divine 
than  music,  or  that  devotion  to  it,  its  service  and  its  cul- 
tivation, could  ever  be  pushed  too  far.  Entrench  your- 
self behind  your  blocks  of  marble,  so  that  we  may  grant 
you  peace  on  favorable  terms.  What  would  you  say 
if  some  one  declared  that  whoever  uses  his  mallet  nine 
hours  of  the  day  must,  in  the  course  of  time,  lose  his 
sense  of  hearing  and  sight,  that  his  intellectual  power 
would  finally  become  deadened  and  petrified,  and  that  his 
soul  would  get  to  be  as  dusty  and  muddy  as  the  blouse 
he  wears  when  he  hammers  his  stones  ?  " 

A  unanimous  shout  of  bravos  arose  from  the  group 
standing  nearest  him,  and  a  murmur  of  satisfaction  ran 
through  the  salon. 

The  countess,  who  now  for  the  first  time  became  aware 
of  the  dialogue,  was  seen  hastily  approaching,  with  the 
intention  of  averting  the  threatened  storm  by  a  timely 
word.  But  Jansen  had  already  risen  to  his  feet,  and 
stood  confronting  the  professor  with  the  most  unruffled 
composure. 

"  What  would  I  say  ? "  he  cried,  loud  enough  to  be 
understood  by  all.  "  I  would  say  tliat  in  every  art  there 
are  artists  and  mechanics,  and  that  the  latter  know  as 
little  of  the  god  whom  they  serve  as  the  sexton  who 
sweeps  out  the  church  and  hands  about  the  contribution- 
box.  Of  all  the  arts  there  is  but  one  which  does  not 
know  the  dust  of  the  workshop,  that  has  no  underlings 
and  assistants,  or,  at  the  worst,  merely  charlatans  who 
fancy  themselves  masters  ;  and  even  these  know  nothing 
of  that  kind  of  mechanical  readiness  which  murders  the 


IN    PARADISE.  291 

soul  and  deadens  thought.  For  that  reason  it  is  the 
highest  and  most  divine  of  the  arts,  before  Avhich  the 
others  bow,  and  which  they  ought  to  worship  as  their 
mistress  and  goddess.  To  you,  who  are  in  the  habit  of 
lecturing  upon  aesthetics,  I  should  be  ashamed  to  explain 
myself  more  fully  by  saying  that  I  refer  to  poetry,  were 
it  not  that  in  your  toast  you  offered  an  insult  to  the  ma- 
jesty of  this,  the  highest  muse,  which  I  can  only  excuse 
upon  the  supposition  that  you  have  strayed  from  the  tem- 
ple of  the  true  divinity,  and  wandered  by  mistake  into  a 
mosque." 

With  these  words  he  raised  his  glass,  held  it  before 
the  flame  of  the  lamp  and  slowly  drank  it  off.  A  death- 
like silence  followed  ;  the  professor,  who  was  apparently 
on  the  point  of  making  a  rather  irritating  reply,  was  re- 
strained by  a  meaning  look  from  the  countess.  She  her- 
self had  looked  at  the  sculptor  while  he  spoke,  with  a 
peculiar,  searching,  flashing  look,  and  merely  threatened 
him  playfully  with  her  finger  as  he  now  advanced  toward 
her  as  if  to  take  leave. 

"Stay,"  she  whispered  to  him,  "I  have  a  word  to 
speak  with  you." 

Then  she  turned  to  the  others,  and  invited  them  to  be 
seated  again  and  not  to  think  of  breaking  up  so  soon. 
But  her  most  cordial  words  and  demeanor  could  not  ban- 
ish a  certain  uncomfortable  feeling  that  had  taken  posses- 
sion of  the  company.  No  one  could  be  induced  to  take 
a  place  at  the  piano,  and  a  court  musician,  who  still  had 
a  violin  sonata  in  petto,  shut  up  his  instrument-case  with 
conspicuous  noise  and  took  his  leave  of  the  countess,  be- 
stowing upon  Jansen  as  he  passed  a  look  full  of  mean- 
ing. The  others  follovv^ed  his  example,  and,  finally,  even 
the  professor,  who  took  his  defeat  most  easily,  entered 


292  IN    PARADISE. 

upon  his  retreat  after  addressing  a  few  jesting  remarks  to 
his  opponent.  Rosenbuseh,  who  would  probably  other- 
wise have  waited  for  Jansen,  had  offered  his  services  in 
escorting  home  the  young  Fraulein  who  had  fainted  ear- 
lier in  the  evening. 

The  artist  and  the  countess  now  stood  alone  confront- 
ing one  another,  in  the  dimly-lighted  room.  From  the 
street  below  they  could  hear  the  departing  guests  as  they 
went  away,  laughing,  talking,  and  singing. 

"  I  beg  for  a  mild  punishment,  countess,"  began  Jan- 
sen, smiling.  "  Of  course  you  have  only  detained  me  in 
order  to  exact  a  penance  in  the  absence  of  witnesses.  I 
thank  you  for  this  kind  intention,  although,  to  be  honest, 
I  rather  favor  a  public  execution  if  the  head  really  must 
come  off  ! " 

"  You  are  very,  very  wicked  !  "  she  answered,  slowly 
shaking  her  head  as  if  she  were  deeply  in  earnest  in  what 
she  said.  "You  fear  neither  God  nor  man,  least  of  all 
that  which  seems  to  many  the  most  terrible — the  anger  of 
a  woman.  And,  for  that  reason,  I  shall  not  succeed  in 
punishing  you  for  your  sins  as  you  have  deserved." 

"  No,"  he  said.  "  I  submit  voluntarily  to  any  penance 
you  may  put  upon  me.  How  I  wish  that  by  so  doing  I 
could  rid  myself  of  ray  old  fault  of  thinking  aloud  with- 
out first  looking  around  to  see  who  may  be  listening  !  " 

She  walked  up  and  down  the  room  with  folded  arms, 
gazing  thoughtfully  before  her. 

"  Why  should  we  disguise  ourselves  ?  "  she  said,  after 
a  pause.  "It  is  not  worth  the  trouble  to  deceive  the 
thoughtless  masses,  and  we  cannot  fool  the  wise  few. 
Let  us  drop  our  masks,  dear  friend.  I  think  exactly  as 
you  do,  only  pe^'haps  I  feel  it  even  more  keenly  because 
I  am  a  womaa     For  me,  too,  music  is  merely  a  bath.    But 


IN   PARADISE.  ^93 

I  enjoy  it  more  passionately  because  a  ■woman,  who  is 
much  more  restricted  than  you  men,  is  more  grateful  for 
every  opportunity  to  cast  off  all  her  chains  and  fetters, 
and  plunge  her  soul  in  a  great  excited  and  exciting  ele- 
ment. To  me  such  an  element  is  music  ;  of  course  not 
all  music — not  that  shallow  kind  that  merely  bubbles  and 
murmurs  pleasantly,  yet  scarcely  rises  to  my  knees,  but 
that  fathomless  music  whose  billows  break  over  my  head. 
To  me  Sebastian  Bach  is  like  a  shoreless  sea,  '  and  it  is 
sweet  to  plunge  into  its  depths.'  But  do  not  let  us  talk 
of  the  petty  souls,  the  bunglers  and  the  underlings ! 
With  you  great  men — you  yourself  have  said  as  much — 
does  the  material  make  such  a  great  difference  ?  When 
you  see  a  work  of  Phidias,  does  not  your  whole  being 
sink  as  if  into  divinely  cool  waters?  And  that  is  the 
main  thing  in  the  end.  The  few  moments  in  life  that  sat- 
isfy our  innermost  desires  are,  after  all,  those  only  in 
which  we  almost  believe  we  are  dying.  Enjoyment  of 
art,  enthusiasm,  a  great  deed,  a  passion — in  the  main  they 
all  have  the  same  ending.  Or  do  not  you  agree,  dear 
friend  ?  " 

He  indicated  his  assent  by  a  gesture,  though  he  had 
only  caught  a  few  stray  words.  This  woman  interested 
him  so  little  that  his  thoughts,  even  when  he  was  at  her 
side,  secretly  flew  away  to  her  whose  image  filled  his 
heart. 

She  took  his  silence  as  a  sign  that  she  had  made  a  deep 
impression  upon  him. 

"  You  see,"  she  continued,  "  it  is  a  satisfaction  to  me 
to  tell  you  this.  It  is  so  seldom  one  finds  people  capable 
of  comprehending  one,  and  from  whom  one  need  have  no 
secrets.  It  is  a  privilege  of  all  sovereig-n  natures  that 
they  dare  to  confess  all  to  one  another — the  highest  as 


294  /^V    PARADISE. 

well  as  the  lowest  thoughts — for,  even  when  we  confess 
our  weakness,  we  are  ennobled  by  the  boldness  and  daring 
with  which  we  do  it.  Oh,  my  dear  friend  !  if  you  knew 
how  hard  a  woman  has  to  struggle  to  attain  that  freedom 
which  you  men  claim  as  a  birthright !  For  how  long  a 
time  do  we  throw  away  the  best  years  of  our  life  because 
of  false  shame,  and  a  thousand  other  considerations  !  It 
is  only  since  I  acknowledged  it  as  a  moral  duty  toward 
my  own  nature  to  possess  myself  of  anything  toward 
which  I  felt  drawn,  to  dare  anything  which  was  not  be- 
yond my  powers,  to  say  anything  for  which  I  could  find  a 
sympathetic  listener — it  is  only  since  that  time  that  I  can 
say  I  have  learned  to  respect  myself.  But  I  forget ;  it 
does  not  follow  that  these  confessions  interest  you,  no 
matter  how  much  sympathy  you  may  feel  for  them.  I 
am,  doubtless,  not  the  first  woman  who  has  given  you 
similar  confidences.  The  world  in  which  you  live  is  used 
to  seeing  fall  the  veils  and  coverings  with  which  we  drape 
ourselves  in  the  prudish  society  of  ordinary  mortals.  Nor 
would  I,  perhaps,  have  detained  you  here  with  me  merely 
to  talk  to  you  of  such  feelings  and  thoughts,  if  I  had  not 
besides  something  very  particular  at  heart,  a  great,  great 
favor — " 

She  had  thrown  herself  down  on  a  sofa  and  rested 
there  in  a  careless,  picturesque  attitude,  her  anns  thrown 
back  gracefully  behind  her  head.  Her  face  was  pale  as 
marble,  and  her  lips  were  slightly  parted — but  not  with  a 
smile. 

"  A  favor  ?  "  he  asked,  absently.  "  You  know,  coun- 
tess, I  was  prepared  to  receive  a  penance.  How  much 
sooner — " 

"  "Who  knoAvs  whether  the  granting  of  this  favor  will 
not  seem  to  you  a  penance,  and  none   of  the  lightest 


Ilf    PARADISE.  295 

either  ! "  she  hastily  interrupted.  "  In  a  word,  will  you 
make  my  portrait  ?  " 

"  Your  portrait  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  a  portrait-statue,  sitting  or  standing,  as  you 
like.  I  confess  to  you  that  the  thought  first  came  to  me 
this  morning.  I  can't  get  that  beautiful  portrait  of  your 
charming  friend  out  of  my  head,  though  I  am  not  so  con- 
ceited as  to  wish  to  compare  myself  with  this  unknown 
woman,  especially  in  your  eyes.  I  have  a  special  reason 
for  wanting  it ;  I  know  a  foolish  man  who  still  finds  me 
young  and  pretty  enough  to  want  my  portrait — particu- 
larly if  it  were  done  by  such  a  master — a  friend,  from 
whom  I  have  been  separated  often  and  long,  and  whom  I 
should  make  very  happy  if  I  could  send  him  my  effigy  as 
a  compensation." 

While  she  delivered  this  excited  speech,  Jansen  had 
let  his  eyes  rest  on  her,  without  betraying  by  any  sign 
whether  he  was  disposed  to  grant  her  the  favor  or  not. 
She  blushed  under  this  cool,  searching  look,  and  cast 
down  her  eyes. 

"  He  is  beginning  to  study  me  already,"  she  thought. 
"  But  you  mustn't  think,"  she  continued,  "  that  I  am  al- 
together too  modest  in  my  request.  Pie,  for  whom  this 
master-work  is  intended,  would  be  ready  to  pay  its  weight 
in  gold  for  even  the  most  hasty  sketch  from  your  hand. 
But  it  appears  as  if  the  undertaking  had  no  great  charm 
for  you  ?  Tell  me  frankly  ;  in  any  case,  we  will  still  re- 
main good  friends." 

"  Countess,"  he  began,  for  the  first  time  this  evening 
betraying  some  confusion,  "  you  are  really  too  good — " 

"  No  !  Yon  are  trying  to  escape  me — now,  don't  deny 
it.  Perhaps  I  know  the  reason  which  makes  j'ou  unfavor- 
able to  my  request.     You  have  delicate  duties  that  you 


296  IN   PARADISE. 

must  regard.  If  your  friend  should  discover  that  you 
had  shown  the  same  favor  to  me  as  to  her — I  don't  know 
her,  but,  for  all  that,  it  might  be  possible,  and  certainly 
pardonable,  for  her  to  be  a  little  jealous  !  Am  I  not 
right  ?     Isn't  it  that  which  makes  you  hesitate  ?  " 

He  was  silent  for  a  moment.  Then,  still  in  an  absent 
way  and  as  if  speaking  to  himself,  he  said,  quietly: 

"  Jealous  ?     She  would  certainly  have  no  cause  to  be." 

The  unfortunate  expression  had  scarcely  passed  his 
lips  when  a  hot  and  cold  shudder  passed  over  him,  and 
he  suddenly  became  conscious  what  a  deadly  insult  he 
had  uttered.  He  looked  at  her  in  alarm  ;  he  saw  that  all 
the  blood  had  fled  from  her  cheeks,  leaving  even  her 
lips  a  deathly  white.  But  immediately,  before  he  could 
even  recover  sufficient  self-possession  to  soften  the  im- 
pression of  his  words,  she  forced  a  pleasant  laugh,  hastily 
rose  from  the  sofa  and  stepped  up  to  him  with  both  her 
hands  extended. 

"Thank  you,  my  friend,"  she  said,  in  her  easiest  tone; 
"  you  are  not  particularly  gallant,  but  something  better 
and  rarer  —  you  are  candid.  You  are  right ;  unless  a 
woman  is  able  to  set  the  whole  female  sex  wild  with  envy 
and  jealousy,  like  your  beautiful  unknown  friend,  she  is 
not  a  worthy  subject  for  your  art.  I  really  ought  to  be 
old  enough  to  see  that  myself.  But,  as  I  said,  you  are 
partly  to  blame  for  my  having  hit  on  such  a  foolish  idea 
— the  portrait  of  that  beautiful  woman  had  turned  my 
head.  But  now  it  is  in  its  right  place  again,  and  I  thank 
you  for  your  speedy  cure.  Prcnez  que  je  ii''aie  Hen  (lit. 
That  my  tardy  wish,  which  perhaps  would  have  been  an 
impudent  one  even  in  earlier  days,  remains  our  secret,  I 
expect  from  your  chivalry.  So — your  hand  upon  it — and 
soyons  aniis!    And  now,  good-night,     ""iliough  I  am  in 


IN    PARADISE.  297 

no  danger  of  awakening  jealousy,  I  am  not  old  enough 
yet  to  be  secure  from  malicious  gossip,  and — you  have 
already  staid  longer  than  is  proper." 

In  the  most  painful  confusion  he  attempted  to  stam- 
mer out  a  few  palliating  words.  But  she  would  not  listen 
to  them,  and,  amid  all  sorts  of  pretty  speeches  and  jests, 
almost  hustled  him  by  main  force  out  of  the  door,  which 
she  immediately  locked  behind  him. 

No  sooner  did  she  find  herself  alone  than  her  features 
became  transformed ;  the  smile  on  her  lips  faded  into  a 
grimace,  and  a  threatening  scowl  appeared  on  her  smooth 
forehead.  She  brushed  from  her  eyelashes  the  tears  of 
angry  humiliation  which  she  had  held  back  too  long  al- 
ready, and  drew  a  long,  deej)  breath,  as  if  to  save  her 
heart  from  suffocation.  Thus  she  stood,  near  the  thresh- 
old, her  little  hands  clinched  tight,  gazing  motionless  at 
the  door  through  which  the  man  who  had  insulted  her 
had  passed  out.  If  a  passionate  wish  possessed  the  magic 
power  to  kill,  Jansen  would  probably  have  never  left  her 
house  alive. 

She  heard  steps  in  the  adjoining  cabinet.  She  looked 
up,  passed  her  hands  across  her  eyes  and  seized  a  glass  of 
water,  which  she  emptied  at  a  single  draught.  She  was 
herself  again.  An  elderly  woman  entered  cautiously, 
dressed  simply  and  entirely  in  black,  but  with  a  care 
which  betrayed  long  practice  in  the  arts  of  the  toilet. 
Moreover,  her  manner  of  speaking  and  carrying  herself 
showed,  at  the  first  glance,  that  she  had  once  been  at 
home  behind  the  foot-lights.  She  was  apparently  well  on 
in  the  forties  ;  but  her  real  face  was  concealed  under  a 
coating  of  paint,  very  skillfully  laid  on,  and  her  soft, 
regular  features  made  no  disagreeable  impression. 

"  You  are  still  here,  my  dear  ? "  cried  the  countess, 


298  ly    PARADISE. 

scarcely  attempting  to  conceal  a  feeling  of  displeasure. 
"I  thought  you  had  long  ago  felt  bored  at  your  self- 
chosen  part  and  gone  away." 

"I  have  passed  an  unspeakably  pleasurable  evening, 
my  dear  countess,  and  wanted  to  thank  you  for  it.  Since 
1  lost  my  voice  and  left  the  stage,  I  scarcely  remember  to 
have  heard  so  much  good  music  in  so  few  hours.  Manna 
in  the  desert,  ray  dear  countess  ! — manna  in  the  desert ! 
But  how  lucky  it  was  that  I  listened  to  the  concert,  as  I 
did,  in  my  dark  box  over  there  !  It  is  true  that  he,  before 
whom  I  particularly  wished  to  avoid  appearing,  might 
not  have  noticed  me.  Since  his  new  liaison  he  seems  to 
be  blind  for  everything  else,  and  the  many  years  since  we 
last  met  have  done  their  best  to  make  it  hard  for  him  to 
recognize  me.  But  imagine,  countess,  that  young  painter 
— the  same  one  who  got  in  my  way  that  night  when  we 
discovered  the  burning  picture — strayed  by  chance  into 
your  bedroom  !  Fortunately,  he  hastily  retired  again. 
But  it  was  a  bright  moonlight  night  the  first  time.  Who 
knows  whether  he  did  not  recognize  me  again,  especially 
as  the  picture  in  the  cabinet  there — " 

"  Certainly,"  nodded  the  countess,  "  you  are  right. 
Who  knows  ?  " 

She  had  not  heard  a  word  the  other  had  spoken. 

"Oh,  my  honored  patroness!"  continued  the  latter, 
"if  I  could  only  tell  you  how  it  infuriated  me  again  to 
see  him — the  hard  and  cruel  man  who  made  my  poor 
daughter's  life  so  wretched — enter  the  room  with  such  a 
proud,  arrogant  air,  and  receive  homage  everywhere  ;  to 
hear  his  voice,  and  his  aggressive  speeches  that  seemed 
meant  to  throw  down  the  glove  to  the  whole  company — 
oh,  you  cannot  tell  how  I  hate  him  !  But  has  not  a  mother 
a  right  to  hate  the  enemy  of  her  daughter  ? — all  the  more 


IN    PARADISE.  299 

when  this  daughter  is  so  foolish  as  still  to  love  the  man 
who  cast  her  out  of  his  house,  and  even  begrudged  her 
the  consolation  of  weeping  over  her  wrongs  on  the  neck 
of  her  own  child  ?  " 

She  pressed  her  handkerchief  to  her  eyes  in  a  theatrical 
manner,  as  if  her  grief  had  overpowered  her. 

The  countess  gave  her  a  cold  look. 

"Don't  play  comedy  before  me,  my  dear,"  she  said, 
sharply.  "According  to  all  that  I  have  heard  of  your 
daughter,  I  don't  imagine  she  is  inconsolable.  What  rea- 
sons have  you  for  thinking  she  still  loves  him  ?  " 

"I  know  her  heart,  countess.  She  is  too  proud  to 
mourn  and  weep.  But  would  she  not  ask  her  mother  to 
come  and  live  with  her,  were  it  not  that  then  she  would 
be  obliged  to  give  up  ever  hearing  any  news  of  the  child  ? 
If  she  only  knew  what  it  cost  me  to  be  a  spy,  so  that  I 
can  write  to  her  now  and  then  how  it  fares  with  her  hard- 
hearted husband — the  poor,  innocent  child  !  And  yet, 
gracious  countess,  if  I  could  ever  succeed  in  tying  the 
broken  bond  again,  in  freeing  this  ungrateful,  inconstant 
man  from  this  snare  of  unworthy  passion,  in  leading  him 
back  again  to  his  rightful  wife — " 

Her  voice  appeared  to  be  choked  with  tears.  The 
countess  made  a  movement  of  impatience. 

"  Enough  !  "  she  said.  "  It  is  late,  and  I  am  very  tired. 
Still,  it  is  true,  something  must  be  done.  This  man's 
great  talent  ^dll  go  to  rack  and  ruin  amid  false  surround- 
ings and  vulgar  love  affairs,  unless  some  one  brings  him 
back  into  the  right  path.  Come  to  me  again  to-morrow 
forenoon,  my  dear.  We  will  talk  further  on  the  subject 
then.     Adieu  !  " 

She  nodded  to  the  singer  in  an  absent  way.  The  lat- 
ter bowed  low  before  her,  and  started  in  haste  to  leave 


300  IN    PARADISE. 

the  room.  As  she  was  crossing  the  threshold  she  heard 
her  name  called. 

"  Don't  you  think  me  very  unbecomingly  dressed  to- 
day, dear  Johanna  ?  It  seems  to  me  I  appear  very  old 
and  haggard  in  this  Venetian  coiffure.  For  that  matter, 
I  really  ought  to  have  put  ofif  the  soiree  altogether  ;  I 
could  hardly  keep  on  my  feet,  I  had  such  a  headache." 

"You  have  this  advantage  over  us,  that  even  suffer- 
ing makes  you  appear  more  beautiful.  From  my  place 
in  my  invisible  box,  I  caught  words  that  would  prove  to 
you  how  great  injustice  you  do  yourself." 

"  Flatterer  !  "  laughed  the  countess,  bitterly.  "  Go 
away  ! — do  go  away  !  At  all  events  you  can't  contradict 
the  evidence  of  my  own  eyes." 

After  the  singer  had  gone,  Nelida  remained  for  a  time 
standing  on  the  same  spot  where  the  former  had  taken 
leave  of  her.  She  murmured  a  few  words  in  her  mother 
tongue,  and  then  said  in  German  : 

"  He  wants  to  do  penance,  does  he  ?  He  shall  ! — he 
shall !— he  shall  ! " 

She  stepped  in  front  of  the  mirror  above  the  fireplace, 
before  which  a  lamp,  nearly  out,  burned  with  a  weak,  red 
flame.  The  candles  on  the  piano  were  burned  do's\Ti  al- 
most to  the  socket.  In  this  dim  light  her  cheeks  looked 
still  more  wan,  her  eyes  more  sunken,  and  the  scowl  on 
her  forehead  as  if  it  could  nevermore  be  smoothed  away. 

"  Is  it  really  too  late  for  happiness  ?  "  she  said  aloud, 
in  a  hollow  voice. 

She  shuddered,  for  the  night  wind  swept  coldly  through 
the  room.  Slowly  she  took  the  rose  from  her  hair  and  let 
it  fall  to  the  ground,  so  that  the  leaves  were  strewed  over 
the  carpet ;  then  she  unwound  the  veil  from  her  head, 
took  out  the  comb  and  shook  her  haii-  down  over  her 


IN    PARADISE.  301 

shoulders.  As  she  did  so  the  blood  returned  to  her  cheeks, 
her  eyes  sparkled,  and  she  began  to  be  pleased  with  her- 
self once  more.  "  ^  y  apourtant  quelques  heaiix  restesf'' 
she  said  to  herself.  Then,  with  sunken  head,  she  strode 
across  the  salon,  talking  half  aloud  to  herself,  and  stepped 
up  to  the  open  piano.  She  struck  the  keys  with  her  open 
hand  so  that  they  gave  forth  a  loud,  harsh  discord.  She 
laughed  scornfully  at  this.  "He  will  do  penance,  will 
he  ?  He  shall ! — he  shall ! — he  shall !  "  and,  once  more 
folding  her  arms  across  her  breast,  she  stepped  into  the 
cabinet  and  stood  still  before  the  young  Greek's  cartoon. 
She  knew  the  picture  by  heart.  And  yet  she  stood  be- 
fore it  as  lost  in  contemplation  as  though  she  saw  it  for 
the  first  time. 

Suddenly  she  felt  a  hot  breath  upon  her  neck.  She 
shuddered  slightly  and  looked  round. 

Stephanopulos  stood  behind  her. 

"Are  you  crazy?"  whispered  Nelida.  "What  are 
you  doing  here  ?  Leave  me  this  moment !  My  maid  is 
coming  ! " 

"She  is  asleep,"  whispered  the  youth.  "I  told  her 
you  would  not  need  her.  Do  you  reproach  me,  countess  ? 
— me,  who  only  live  in  your  smiles — to  whom  a  glance  of 
your  eyes  is  heaven  or  hell !  " 

"  Hush  ! "  she  said,  leaving  him  her  hand  which  he 
had  seized.  "  You  are  talking  nonsense,  my  friend.  But 
you  have  a  good  voice,  and,  besides,  one  cannot  be  angry 
with  you.     Vous  eCes  wi  enfant !  " 


302  IN    PARADISE. 


CHAPTER    X. 


On  the  morning  following  the  soiree,  the  lieutenant  sat 
in  the  second  story  of  the  same  hotel,  in  the  little  salon 
which  lay  between  Irene's  bedroom  and  her  uncle's.  Al- 
though he  was  continually  comi^laining  about  his  wretched 
vassalage  to  friendship,  he  had,  nevertheless,  presented 
himself  again  in  good  season  in  order  to  receive  the  Avatch- 
word  for  the  day.  Inasmuch  as  he  had  not  the  faintest 
regular  occupation,  this  pretext  for  passing  away  the 
hours  was,  in  reality,  heartily  welcome  to  him.  More 
than  this,  Irene's  strangely  resigned  and  yet  self-reliant 
character,  her  repellent  manner  and  almost  bluntness, 
joined  as  they  were  with  all  the  charm  of  youth,  attracted 
him  more  than  he  knew  or  cared  to  admit. 

The  Fraulein  was  still  invisible  when  Schnetz  arrived. 
He  found  the  uncle  seated  at  breakfast,  and  was  forced 
to  listen  to  his  account  of  his  experiences  of  the  excur- 
sion, and  of  his  evening  at  the  club.  The  baron  may  pos- 
sibly have  been  a  good  dozen  years  older  than  the  lieu- 
tenant, whom  he  still  continued  to  treat  in  his  frank  and 
jovial  manner,  just  as  he  had  formerly  treated  the  young 
fellow  who,  in  Africa,  had  felt  flattered  to  be  kindly  taken 
under  the  wing  of  his  more  experienced  countryman  and 
initiated  into  the  mysteries  of  lion-hunting  and  other  no- 
ble pastimes.  Sixteen  years  had  passed  since  then.  The 
baron's  hair  had  grown  thin,  the  little  rakish  mustache  on 
his  upper  lip  had  turned  gray,  his  nervous,  thick-set  figure 
had  rounded  out,  and,  seen  from  behind,  looked  almost 
venerable  j  while  the  long,  lank  figure  of  his  younger 


IN    PARADISE.  303 

comrade  had  grown  even  more  spindle-shanked,  his  face 
more  like  parchment,  and  his  movements  clumsier  than 
before.  For  all  that  the  baron  let  his  eyes  rest  with  fa- 
therly satisfaction  upon  the  officer,  whom  he  still  called 
"Schnetz,  my  dear  hoy,"  and  patted  him  encouragingly 
on  the  shoulder  ;  all  of  which  Schnetz,  who  would  have 
grimly  resented  any  such  familiarity  from  any  one  else, 
received  with  great  patience  from  him. 

'■'•  Bonjour,  mon  meuxf''  cried  the  baron,  with  both 
cheeks  full,  when  Schnetz  entered.  "  My  little  highness 
is  still  resting  from  the  fatigues  of  a  musical  entertain- 
ment given  by  a  Russian  lady  here  in  the  hotel.  Come, 
light  a  cigar.  No  ? — don't  be  afraid  !  On  neutral  ground 
smoking  is  allowed.  That  is  the  only  thing  which  I,  the 
best  guarded  of  guardians,  ever  succeeded  in  carrying 
through  against  my  ward's  wishes.  Positively  I  have 
regretted  a  hundred  times  that  I  didn't  marry,  and  bring 
a  few  lively  boys  into  the  world.  If  they  had  tyrannized 
over  me,  I  should  know  well  enough  for  what  sins  I  had 
to  suffer.  Now  don't  wink  for  me  to  speak  lower.  She 
is  accustomed  to  hear  these  sighs  of  agony  from  me.  She 
knows  that  her  slave  lets  his  hands  and  feet  be  put  in 
chains,  but  not  his  tongue.  To  be  sure,"  he  continued, 
concluding  this  lamentation — which  he  had  pronounced 
with  far  too  jolly  an  air  for  it  to  excite  serious  sympathy 
— "  to  be  sure,  my  dear  Schnetz,  my  yoke  was  never  so 
bearable  as  it  is  here  in  your  blessed  Munich  :  before  all 
else,  because  you  have  lent  your  shoulder  to  the  Avheel, 
and  I  have  a  substitute  in  you  such  as  I  have  wished  for 
in  vain  at  my  own  house,  when  my  severe  little  niece  has 
led  the  old  lion-hunter  about  by  her  apron-string  like  a 
meek  lamb." 

Then  he  related  how  he  had  made  the  most  charming 


304  IN    PARADISE. 

acquaintances  at  the  club  yesterday,  and  what  a  cordial 
tone  he  had  found  there. 

"  You  South  Germans  are  really  a  fine  race  of  men  !  " 
he  cried,  excitedly.  "Everybody  is  so  open,  so  true- 
hearted,  in  his  neglige,  just  as  God  made  him.  You  don't 
have  to  feel  about  a  long  time  until  you  get  through  all 
the  padding,  and  reach  something  like  a  human  core  ; 
but  whatever  there  is  in  you  appears  on  the  surface,  and, 
if  it  doesn't  please,  it  can't  be  helped.  For  that  reason, 
of  course,  one  sometimes  comes  across  a  slight  roughness, 
which,  however,  only  does  you  honor," 

Schnetz  puckered  his  mouth  to  an  ironical  grimace. 

"Allow  me,  cJiiire  papa,  to  remark  that  you  over-esti- 
mate us,"  he  said,  dryly.  "  That  which  you  take  to  be 
our  honest,  natural  skin  is  only  a  flesh-colored  material 
under  which  the  real  epidermis  lies  concealed  as  securely 
and  as  secretly  as  the  nut  under  its  shell.  We  do  well  to 
throw  aside  our  cloaks,  because,  with  us,  we  do  not  show 
ourselves  as  we  are  when  we  do  so.  Of  course,  between 
ourselves  we  know  perfectly  well  how  matters  stand,  and 
that  we  can't  make  an  X  into  a  Y.  Believe  me,  were  it 
not  for  the  drop  of  Frankish  blood  that  I  got  from  my 
mother,  I  should  not  be  so  naif  as  to  blurt  out  our  na- 
tional secret  to  you.  I  would  leave  you  to  quietly  find 
out  for  yourself  whether,  at  the  end  of  a  year — yes,  or 
even  at  the  end  of  ton  or  twenty  years — you  would  have 
advanced  any  further  in  the  friendships  made  yesterday 
than  you  did  in  the  first  hour  ;  whether  you  would  have 
succeeded  even  in  penetrating  the  padding  and  putting 
your  hand  upon  a  real  human  heart  of  flesh  and  blood. 
I — much  pains  as  I  have  taken — never  succeeded  in  doing 
this.  It  is  true,  I  myself  was  so  exceedingly  ill-humored 
as  to  consider  it  ray  duty  to  speak  the  truth  to  those 

\ 


IN    PARADISE.  305 

wliom  I  consider  my  friends.  But  that  is  something  one 
must  guard  against  doing  here  as  carefully  as  against 
stealing  silver  spoons.  Why  has  a  man  a  back,  unless  it 
is  that  his  friends  may  abuse  him  behind  it  ?  " 

"  I  know  you,  7non  vieux,''''  cried  the  baron.  "  When 
you  haven't  a  pair  of  shears  and  some  black  paper  at 
hand,  you  cut  your  caricatures  out  of  the  air  with  your 
sharp  tongue.  But  I  won't  allow  this  jaundiced  art  of 
yours  to  put  me  out  of  humor  with  this  beautiful  city  and 
its  good  people.  I  grumbled  sadly  when  my  little  high- 
ness insisted  upon  traveling,  and  taking  up  her  residence 
further  south.  Now,  nothing  could  afford  me  greater 
pleasure  than  her  whim  to  settle  down  here  in  Munich,  of 
all  places,  and  if  she  only  would  decide  not  to  go  away 
from  here  again  at  all — " 

The  entrance  of  Irene  interrupted  him.  She  looked 
paler  than  on  the  day  before,  and  greeted  the  gentlemen 
with  heavy  eyes  and  a  languid  movement  of  her  little 
head,  which  generally  sat  so  spiritedly  and  so  erect  upon 
her  shoulders. 

"Dear  uncle,"  she  said,  "you  would  do  me  a  great 
favor  if  you  would  consent  to  take  me  away  from  here — 
into  the  country,  no  matter  where,  if  only  away  from  this 
house.  I  have  passed  a  night  such  as  I  hope  I  may  never 
pass  again,  and  didn't  get  a  wink  of  sleep  until  this  morn- 
ing. You  came  home  too  late,  and  sleep  too  soundly,  to 
have  been  disturbed  long  by  the  concert  and  the  noise 
below  us.  But  I — though  I  got  away  from  the  countess's 
just  as  early  as  possible — the  music  and  the  noise  of  the 
conversation  reached  my  ears  through  the  open  windows. 
It  will  be  just  the  same  every  night,  for  this  lady  is  eter- 
nal unrest  personified  ;  and  her  circle  expands  into  the 
infinite,  since  she  not  only  patronizes  music  but  all  the 
20 


306  IN    PARADISE. 

Other  arts  as  well.  So,  if  you  love  me,  uncle,  and  don't 
want  me  to  have  a  brain  fever,  see  that  we  leave  this 
house  !  Don't  you  too  think,  Herr  von  Schnetz,  that 
nothing  is  left  for  me  but  rapid  flight  ?  " 

Schnetz  looked  at  his  friend,  from  whose  jovial  face 
all  the  sunshine  had  departed.  But  he  took  good  care 
not  to  come  to  his  aid. 

"My  dearest  child,"  the  baron  now  ventured  to  re- 
monstrate in  a  conciliatory  voice,  "  the  idea  of  rushing  off 
in  this  wild  fashion,  after  telling  our  friends  only  yester- 
day that  it  would  be  much  nicer  to  take  up  our  headquar- 
ters here  in  the  town,  and  to  make  excursions  from  here 
to  all  points  of  the  compass — " 

She  did  not  let  him  finish  his  speech. 

"  Feel  how  hot  my  hand  is  ! "  she  said,  pressing  two 
little  fingers  against  his  forehead  ;  "  that  is  fever  ;  and 
you  know  how  peoj^le  have  warned  us  against  the  Munich 
climate.  Didn't  aunt  tell  us  yesterday  that  even  she  in- 
tended to  fly  to  the  nearest  mountains  very  soon  ?  And 
besides,  I  should  never  think  of  asking  you  to  shut  your- 
self up  with  me  in  a  mountain  hut.  I  know  very  well, 
uncle,  that  you  can't  get  on  without  the  city  for  any 
length  of  time,  I  don't  wish  to  go  any  further  than  the 
lake  where  we  were  yesterday  ;  from  there  you  can  be 
back  in  Munich  again  in  an  hour,  if  you  find  you  cannot 
stand  it  any  longer.  Don't  you  think  this  will  be  the 
most  sensible  thing  for  all  parties,  Herr  von  Schnetz  ?  " 

"  Ce  que  femme  veut,  Dieu  le  veut !  "  replied  the  lieu- 
tenant, bowing,  with  the  most  serious  face  in  the  world. 
It  did  not  escape  his  keen  eye  that  this  young  highness 
had  been  battling  with  some  trouble  of  the  heart  during 
the  night,  and  had  not  yet  recovered  her  usual  self-pos- 
session.    While  she  was  speaking,  her  eyes  wandered  about 


IN    PARADISE.  307 

in  an  odd  way,  now  toward  the  window,  now  toward  the 
door,  as  if  she  trembled  in  fear  of  some  surprise.  She 
pleased  him  better,  however,  in  this  state  of  excitement 
than  in  her  usual  cool  self-possession  ;  he  felt  a  curious 
sympathy  for  her  beautiful  youth,  that  had  no  friend  and 
adviser  to  consult,  except  an  old  bachelor  whose  suscep- 
tibilities were  none  of  the  most  delicate. 

"  In  Heaven's  name,  then  ! "  sighed  the  latter,  cast- 
ing a  droll  look  upward,  "  I  submit  to  higher  guidance, 
and  acknowledge  with  gratitude  the  consideration  you 
have  shown  toward  my  poor  person  in  your  project. 
Schnetz  will  find  his  way  out  to  us,  I  suppose — after  all  a 
horse  can  always  be  found  or  sent  for ;  there  will  most 
likely  be  a  pistol-gallery  at  hand  ;  and,  if  all  other  sports 
should  leave  me  in  the  lurch,  I  can  still  become  an  angler 
on  the  lake — that  most  insipid  of  all  pastimes,  which  I 
have  heretofore  regarded  with  quiet  horror  from  a  dis- 
tance. When  shall  we  be  off  ?  Not  before  this  evening, 
of  course  ?  " 

"  With  the  next  train,  uncle.  We  have  only  half  an 
hour  to  spare.  Fritz  is  already  at  work  packing  your 
things,  for  he  had  heard  from  Betty  that  my  trunk  was 
ready.  All  you  will  have  to  do  will  be  to  make  your  own 
toilet." 

The  baron  broke  into  a  shout  of  laughter. 

"  What  do  you  say  to  that,  Schnetz  ?  Abd-el-Kader 
himself  might  learn  a  lesson  from  this  rapidity  in  break- 
ing camp.  Child,  child  !  And  my  new  acquaintances  of 
last  night — the  stag-party  that  was  arranged  for  to-mor- 
row— Count  Werdenfels,  whose  collection  of  weapons  I 
was  to  go  and  see — " 

"  You  can  send  them  your  excuses  by  letter  from  Starn- 
berg,  dear  uncle.    And  truly  I  would  not  hurry  so  if  there 


308  IN    PARADISE. 

were  any  other  way  of  avoiding  taking  leave  in  person  of 
our  fellow-guest  down  stairs.  But,  if  we  go  off  at  once, 
these  two  lines,  which  the  waiter  will  give  her  as  soon  as 
we  are  gone,  will  be  sufficient." 

She  produced  a  visiting-card,  on  which  she  had  already 
written  a  word  of  farewell. 

"  The  note  abeady  \\Titten,  too  !  La  letterina  eccola 
qua!^^  cried  the  baron.  "Child,  your  genius  for  com- 
mand is  so  sublime  that  subordination  under  your  flag 
becomes  a  pleasure,  and  blind  submission  a  matter  of 
honor.     In  five  minutes  I  will  be  ready  for  the  journey." 

With  comical  gallantry  he  kissed  the  girl's  hand,  who 
had  listened  to  all  his  jests  in  a  preoccupied  and  serious 
way,  gave  his  friend  a  look  that  seemed  to  say  :  "  I  yield 
to  force  ! "  and  rushed  out  of  the  room. 

Schnetz  was  left  alone  with  the  Frliulein.  A  feeling 
that  was  almost  fatherly  in  its  tenderness  passed  over  him 
as  he  looked  at  the  serious  young  face. 

"  Perhaps,"  he  thought,  "  it  needs  but  a  first  word,  a 
light  touch,  and  this  young  heart  that  is  full  to  the  brim 
will  overflow  and  be  relieved." 

But,  before  he  could  even  open  his  lips,  she  said  sud- 
denly : 

"  I  do  hope  Starnberg  is  not  such  a  great  resort  for 
artists  as  the  other  places  in  the  Bavarian  mountains,  of 
which  my  cousins  have  told  me." 

lie  looked  at  her  in  amazement. 

"  You  hope  so,  Fraulein  ?  And  what  possible  reason 
can  you  have  for  not  wishing  it  to  be  such  a  place  ?  Ar- 
tists are,  as  a  rule,  among  the  most  harmless  of  God's 
creatures,  and  can  hardly  be  said  to  disfigure  a  fine  region 
with  their  umbrellas  and  camp-stools." 

"And  yet,  last  evening,  I  made  the  acquaintance  ol 


IN    PARADISE.  309 

one  of  these  artists  at  the  countess's  below.  The  tone 
which  he  adopted — " 

"  Do  you  recollect  his  name  ?  " 

"  No  ;  but  perhaps  you  know  him — a  young  man  in  a 
violet  velvet  jacket." 

Schnetz  gave  a  loud  laugh. 

"  Why  do  you  laugh  ?  " 

"  I  beg  a  thousand  pardons,  Frliulein — it  really  is  not 
a  matter  to  be  laughed  at.  This  honest  fellow — our  secret 
poet — I  know  him  down  to  the  very  folds  in  his  historical 
velvet  jacket.  What,  in  the  name  of  wonder,  were  the 
thorns  that  this  Rosebud  presented  for  you  to  scratch  your 
delicate  skin  uj^on  ?  " 

"  I  must  submit  to  let  you  think  me  a  prudish  fool, 
who  takes  offense  at  every  light  word,  Herr  von  Schnetz," 
said  she,  with  some  asperity.  "  I  do  not  care  to  repeat 
the  conversation  of  your  friend.  If  he  is  one  of  the  most 
inoffensive  of  men,  I  would  rather  avoid  a  place  where 
one  is  forced  to  meet  people  of  his  stamp  at  every  step." 

She  turned  away  and  stepped  to  the  window. 

"  My  dearest  Fraulein,"  she  now  heard  Schnetz's  voice 
say  behind  her,  "  you  are  ill,  seriously  ill ;  I  don't  know 
whether  in  body  ;  but  certainly  there  is  a  wounded  spot 
somewhere  in  your  mental  organization." 

She  turned  round  upon  him  quickly. 

"  I  must  confess,  Herr  von  Schnetz,"  she  said,  with 
her  proudest  look,  "  I  really  do  not  understand — " 

"  A  sick  person  is  very  often  unconscious  that  any- 
thing is  wrong  with  him,"  continued  Schnetz,  unmoved, 
pulling  at  his  imperial.  "  But  it  is  impossible  that  you 
could  have  seen  this  picture  of  the  most  innocent  of  all 
mortals  in  such  distortion,  unless  your  eye  had  been  clouded 
by  illness.     My  dear  Fraulein — no,  don't  look  at  me  so 


310  IN    PARADISE. 

ungraciously  ;  you  c  annot  deceive  me  by  so  doing  ;  and  at 
the  risk  of  incurring  your  direful  wrath,  I  don't  see  why 
you  shouldn't  listen  to  an  honest  word  from  a  fatherly 
fi'iend.  I  do  not  know  whether  you  have  many  other 
friends  ;  but,  as  far  as  I  know,  there  is  no  one  here  who 
takes  a  more  cordial  interest  in  you  than  my  not  partic- 
larly  attractive  self — no  one  in  whom  you  could  more 
safely  confide.  Dearest  Fraulein,  if  you  would  only  con- 
sent to  open  that  proud  little  mouth  and  tell  me  whether 
I  can  help  you  ;  whether  what  you  experienced  last  night 
— for  it  is  impossible  that  it  is  friend  Rosenbusch  who 
has  suddenly  given  you  such  a  distaste  for  your  stay  in 
this  city — " 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said,  interrupting  him  suddenly  ; 
"  I  believe  you  mean  kindly  toward  me.  Here  is  my  hand 
on  it ;  and,  if  I  ever  need  counsel  or  help,  you  shall  be 
the  first  and  only  man  to  whom  I  will  turn.  But  you  are 
mistaken  if  you  think  I — I — " 

She  suddenly  checked  herself,  her  eyes  filled  with 
heavy  drops,  and  her  voice  failed  her ;  but  she  controlled 
herself,  and  smiled  upon  him  so  kindly  that  he  could  not 
help  admiring  the  brave  young  heart. 

"  All  the  better,"  he  said.  "  I  am  too  well  bred  to 
doubt  the  word  of  a  lady.  And  the  assurance  you  give 
me  is  so  precious — " 

"Here  is  my  hand  on  it !  Here's  to  our  true  friend- 
ship, Herr  von  Schnetz,  and —  Of  course  I  don't  need  to 
ask  you  not  to  say  anything  to  uncle  ;  he  undoubtedly 
means  well  with  me,  but  he  knows  so  little — less  than  you 
who  saw  me  for  the  first  time  only  a  week  ago." 

She  put  her  finger  to  her  lips  and  looked  listeningly 
toward  the  door,  behind  which  the  baron's  footsteps  could 
now  be  heard.     Schnetz  had  only  time,  while  cordially 


IN    PARADISE.  311 

pressing  tlie  hand  she  offered  him,  to  nod  to  her  that 
the  pact  just  concluded  should  remain  her  secret,  when 
her  uncle  stepped  in  again  in  complete  traveling  cos- 
tume, and  began  to  urge  on  the  preparations  for  depart- 
ure as  zealously  as  he  had  before  protested  against  the 
flight. 

Schnetz  got  into  the  carriage  with  them,  in  order  to 
accompany  the  uncle  and  niece  to  the  station.  The  cur- 
tains were  di*awn  down  on  the  first  floor  of  the  hotel. 
The  countess  was  still  sleeping.  As  far  as  she  was  con- 
cerned, Irene  would  have  had  no  need  to  pull  down  her 
veil  over  her  face  before  she  got  into  the  carriage.  But 
from  behind  it  her  eyes  wandered  restlessly  hither  and 
thither,  aci'oss  the  square  and  through  the  streets  ;  for 
she  feared  that  he  from  whom  she  was  fleeing  might  have 
taken  up  his  post  somewhere  in  the  vicinity,  in  order  to 
keep  watch  upon  her  movements. 

He  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  She  noticed,  on  the  other 
hand,  a  beautiful  blonde  lady  who  happened  to  be  cross- 
ing the  square  just  at  that  moment,  accompanied  by  a 
rather  insignificant-looking  female  companion  and  a  male 
escort,  and  who  had  to  stand  still  in  order  to  let  the 
carriage  pass.  Schnetz  did  not  recognize  them  until 
they  had  gone  by,  but  then  he  waved  his  hat  excitedly 
by  way  of  greeting,  and  gazed  after  them  for  some  time 
longer. 

"  Who  was  that  you  were  bowing  to  ?  "  asked  Irene. 

"Take  a  good  look  at  that  man,  my  dear  Fraulein. 
He  is  only  a  sculptor,  not  yet  as  celebrated  as  he  deserves 
to  be,  and  by  birth  the  son  of  a  peasant.  But  I  have 
never  known  a  man  of  more  genuine  nobility,  and  he 
alone  would  make  the  bad  society  in  which  I  delight  to 
move  the  very  best  in  the  world.     Of  the  two  ladies  one 


312  /-V    PARADISE. 

is  a  painter,  a  very  good  person  and  not  a  bad  artist  by 
any  means,  while  the  beautiful  one  on  Jansen's  left — " 

"  Jansen  ?  " 

"  Do  you  know  the  name  ?  Perhaps  you  have  already 
seen  some  of  his  works  ?  " 

She  stammered  out  a  confused  answer,  and  leaned  far 
out  of  the  carriage  as  if  she  wanted  to  take  another  look 
at  the  party.     All  her  blood  had  mounted  to  her  cheeks. 

So  that  was  he  with  whom  Felix  now  passed  his  days, 
that  friend  of  his  youth  whose  presence  and  society  made 
up  for  all  lost  happiness  ! 

A  secret  jealousy,  which  slie  was  ashamed  to  admit 
even  to  herself,  arose  within  her.  Luckily  for  her  the 
carriage  drew  up  a  few  minutes  after  before  the  entrance 
of  the  station ;  and  in  the  confusion  of  getting  out  and 
taking  leave  of  their  faithful  companion,  she  was  able  to 
recover  herself  so  far  as  to  throw  back  her  veil  once  more 
and  to  exact  from  Schnetz,  with  the  merriest  mien  in  the 
world,  a  promise  that  he  would  come  out  to  the  lake  and 
visit  them  very,  very  soon. 

The  whistle  of  the  locomotive  had  long  died  away,  and 
our  friend  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  square,  like  a  post, 
wdth  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  ground. 

"  Tonnerre  cle  Dieu!''''  he  growled  at  length,  as  a 
clumsy  peasant  ran  against  him  and  roused  him  from  his 
reverie.  "  It  is  curious  how  our  feelings  toward  people 
change.  Only  yesterday  these  two  were  in  my  way,  and 
I  would  have  given  a  f]rood  deal  to  have  .been  released 
from  my  woman-service.  And  now  I  feel  wretchedly 
bored  without  the  little  highness,  and  as  if  I  were  of  no 
use  to  anybody.  If  I  were  not  an  old  fellow  and  past  all 
child's-play,  and  had  not  such  a  good  wife,  I  almost  be- 
lieve—     Tonnerre  de  Dieu  ! '''' 


IN    PARADISE.  313 

And  slowly,  humming  a  French  soldiers'  song  between 
his  teeth,  he  wended  his  way  home,  which  to-day,  for  the 
first  time,  appeared  to  him  as  sad  and  solitary  as  it  really 
was. 


CHAPTER    XI, 

In  the  mean  while  Jansen  and  his  two  companions  had 
gone  on  their  way,  too  much  occupied  with  their  own 
thoughts  to  think  about  the  company  in  which  Schnetz 
had  driven  by.  They  were  not,  indeed,  taking  an  ordinary 
morning  walk,  for  it  had  no  less  an  object  in  view  than 
to  make  a  child  acquainted  with  its  new  mother  for  the 
first  time — yes,  even  more  than  this.  The  evening  before 
Julie  had  expressed  her  ardent  wish  to  take  the  child 
under  her  own  care  at  once ;  the  plan  to  take  an  apart- 
ment with  Angelica  had  been  given  up  again,  for  this 
good  soul  could  not  bring  herself  to  leave  the  people  with 
whom  she  was  staying,  who  lived  in  great  part  from  what 
she  paid  them.  So  Julie  had  plenty  of  room  ;  and,  though 
she  said  nothing  about  it,  no  doubt  the  consideration  that 
the  presence  of  the  child  would  do  much  to  lighten  the 
trial  year,  both  for  herself  and  her  lover,  had  a  great  deal 
to  do  in  determining  her.  Since  everything  that  made 
the  bond  between  them  stronger  could  not  but  be  very 
welcome  to  Jansen,  it  was  decided  to  put  the  plan  into 
execution  on  the  very  next  day. 

But  though  Jansen  had  welcomed  and  urged  the  idea 
most  eagerly,  he  became  more  and  more  doubtful,  as  the 
hour  for  putting  it  into  execution  drew  near,  whether  he 
should  succeed  without  some  trouble  in  removing  the 
child  from  the  associations  to  which  it  was  accustomed, 


314  IN    PARADISE. 

and  placing  it  amid  entirely  new  relations.  Julie  felt  no 
less  nervous  ;  Avhat  had  seemed  to  her  the  evening  before 
to  be  easy  and  self-evident,  appeared  to  her  now  in  broad 
daylight  as  an  audacious  undertaking  that  made  her  heart 
beat  more  anxiously  the  nearer  they  approached  to  their 
goal.  What  if  the  child  should  not  take  to  her  ?  What 
if  she,  try  as  hard  as  she  would,  should  not  be  able  to 
take  it  to  her  heart  at  once  ? — or  should  not  be  able  to 
learn  the  art  of  managing  it  rightly  ? 

The  thought  made  her  silent,  and  she  involuntarily 
walked  more  slowly.  Jansen,  too,  slackened  his  pace,  so 
that  the  good  Angelica,  who  walked  along  with  them 
quite  cheerful  and  free  from  care,  was  obliged  to  stand 
still  every  few  minutes  in  order  to  wait  for  the  strag- 
glers. 

But  she  did  not  lose  her  good-nature.  On  the  con- 
trary, it  seemed  as  though  the  happiness  of  her  adored 
friend,  the  share  in  it  which  fell  to  her  as  the  patron 
saint  of  the  secret  union,  and,  by  no  means  least,  the  au- 
thority which  her  position  as  protectress  gave  her  over 
her  honored  master,  tended  to  excite  her  humor  in  an 
unusual  degree,  so  that  she  delivered  the  drollest  speeches 
entirely  on  her  own  account,  whenever  the  other  two 
abused  too  flagrantly  the  privilege  of  being  tiresome — a 
privilege  that  belongs  by  right  to  all  lovers. 

"  Children,"  she  cried,  standing  still  again  and  fanning 
her  heated  face  with  her  handkerchief,  "this  is  the  first 
time  in  my  life  that  I  ever  'played  the  elephant'  to  a  pair 
of  secret  lovers,  but  I  swear  by  the  ball  on  the  tower  of 
that  Protestant  church  never  to  do  so  again,  unless  I  am 
provided  with  an  equipage  at  the  very  least !  That  you 
are  not  very  entertaining  I  find  to  be  quite  in  order,  and 
at  all  events  much  better  than  if  you  should  perpetually 


IN    PARADISE.  315 

speak  in  sonnets,  like  Romeo  and  Juliet — which  I  find 
highly  absurd  even  on  the  stage.  But  to  creep  along  at 
your  side  through  this  Sahara-like  glare,  while  you  walk 
at  a  snail's-pace,  since  you  no  longer  feel  external  heat 
because  of  the  flames  within,  is  more  than  an  elderly  girl 
of  my  complexion  can  stand.  So  we  will  jump  into  the 
next  droschke,  where  I  can  close  my  eyes  and  ponder 
why  it  is  that  love,  which  is  after  all  such  a  pleasurable 
invention,  generally  makes  the  most  sensible  people  mel- 
ancholy." 

Jansen's  home  lay  in  one  of  the  old  lanes  between  the 
city  and  the  Au  suburb.  Any  one  wandering  along  here 
by  the  side  of  the  babbling  brook,  a  small  tributary  of 
the  Isar,  and  seeing  the  low  cottages  with  their  little  front 
gardens  and  courtyards,  and  picturesque  gables,  might 
easily  imagine  himself  transported  far  away  from  the 
city  and  set  down  in  one  of  the  country  towns  of  the 
middle  ages,  so  quiet  and  deserted  are  the  streets  and 
ways,  and  so  freely  does  every  one  pursue  his  occupation 
under  the  eye  of  his  neighbor,  washing  his  linen  and  his 
salad  at  the  same  well  and  sitting  in  his  shirt-sleeves  be- 
fore his  door.  The  house  of  our  friend  stood  a  little 
back,  in  a  sort  of  blind-alley,  so  that  you  could  not  drive 
up  to  the  door.  It  belonged  to  an  honest  and  hard-woi'k- 
ing  man  who  had  formerly  been  a  teacher  in  one  of  the 
provincial  industrial  schools,  and  who  was  now  employed 
as  an  engineer  by  different  railways.  As  his  work  obliged 
him  to  travel  during  many  months  of  the  year,  he  had 
invited  his  wife's  mother  to  come  and  live  with  him  and 
give  company  and  assistance  to  his  little  wife — a  cheery, 
practical  woman  from  the  Palatinate,  sound  to  the  core 
both  in  body  and  soul.  The  mother  was  an  excellent  old 
woman,  who,  although  rather  deaf,  knew  so  well  how  to 


316  IN    PARADISE. 

get  on  witli  the  children  that  tlie  little  ones  desired  no 
better  company  than  their  grandmamma,  who  read  all 
their  little  wishes  in  their  eyes. 

She  Avas  sitting  in  her  accustomed  place  in  the  deep 
window-niche,  with  her  youngest  grandchild,  who  was 
barely  two  years  old,  on  her  knee,  and  her  hve-year-old 
foster-child  on  a  stool  at  her  feet,  when  the  door  opened 
and  her  daughter,  the  sculptor,  and  the  two  ladies,  walked 
in.  Jansen  was  an  especial  favorite  of  hers,  and  his 
child  held  as  warm  a  place  in  her  heart  as  her  own  grand- 
children. And  so  it  was  natural,  when,  without  any  prepa- 
ration or  notice,  these  two  strange  Friiuleins,  of  whom  one 
was  striking  beautiful,  were  introduced  to  her  as  relations 
of  the  sculptor  who  wanted  to  see  little  Frances,  that  she 
had  a  feeling  there  was  something  wrong  about  the  mat- 
ter ;  especially  as  one  of  the  strange  ladies,  the  beautiful 
one,  immediately  took  up  the  little  girl,  who  made  great 
eyes  at  her,  kissed  and  caressed  her,  and  took  out  all  sorts 
of  sweetmeats  and  toys  from  her  pocket,  with  which  she 
tried  to  gain  the  child's  friendship.  Jansen  sat  near  her, 
silent,  his  face  wearing  a  peculiar  expression.  For  the 
first  time  his  child  struck  him  as  not  looking  so  pretty  or 
to  so  much  advantage  as  he  could  have  wished.  It  had, 
to  be  sure,  feature  for  feature,  the  face  of  its  father,  and 
fortunately  his  clear.  Hashing  eyes  as  well  ;  and  in  addi- 
tion to  this  a  head  of  dark-brown  hair  and  black  eye- 
brows, which  made  the  eyes  appear  still  more  brilliant. 
Moreover,  it  evidently  took  a  strong  fancy  to  the  beau- 
tiful "  aunt,"  who  brought  it  such  nice  things,  and  it 
behaved  altogether  with  great  propriety  considering  its 
few  years.  But,  for  all  that,  a  certain  uneasiness  weighed 
upon  all  the  people  in  the  little  room,  as  they  sat  together 
ou  the  sofa  or  round  the  table.     Neither  Jansen  nor  Julie 


IN    PARADISE.  317 

had  considered  how  they  should  properly  clothe  their  pro- 
ject in  words,  since  their  relation  to  one  another  hereto- 
fore had  home  none  of  the  usual  names,  and  it  might  not 
be  so  easy  to  explain  to  these  simple-minded  women  what 
was  meant  by  the  engagement  of  a  married  man,  and  the 
maternal  rights  of  his  "bride"  to  his  child. 

It  is  very  possible  they  had  both  counted  on  the  aid 
of  their  good  "elephant,"  who,  as  a  general  thing,  was 
never  at  a  loss  for  a  word  on  either  serious  or  pleasant 
occasions.  But  Angelica  also  seemed  to  have  left  her 
humor  outside,  when  she  entered  this  peaceful  little  cham- 
ber. She  only  had  sufficient  tact  to  admire  the  other 
children,  and  to  devote  herself  especially  to  the  little  two- 
year  nestling,  whom  she  pi'onounced  to  be  "a  charming 
little  rascal,  with  true  Rubens  coloring." 

Thus  a  good  half  hour  passed  away  ;  every  subject 
was  exhausted  which  could  possibly  be  broached  on  a  first 
visit,  and  still  the  main  topic  had  not  been  touched  upon. 
Then  at  last  the  little  housewife,  who  had  now  and  then 
exchanged  a  meaning  look  with  the  old  woman  in  the 
window  corner,  came  to  the  aid  of  her  old  friend  and 
lodger  by  rising  and  requesting  him  to  step  into  the  ad- 
joining room  with  her  for  a  moment,  as  she  had  some- 
thing to  say  to  him  that  would  be  of  no  interest  to  the 
ladies. 

So  she  led  him  into  her  absent  husband's  study,  shut 
and  locked  the  door  behind  her,  and,  the  moment  she  was 
alone  with  him,  plunged  into  the  heart  of  the  matter. 

"  Dear  friend,"  she  said,  in  her  rapid  Palatinate  dialect, 
dropping  all  the  ??'s  at  the  ends  of  her  words,  and  intro- 
ducing a  number  of  those  pretty  turns  of  speech  that  flow 
so  charmingly  from  the  lips  of  pretty  Palatinate  women, 
"  now  just  tell  me  straightforwardly  what  all  this  means. 


318  IN    PARADISE. 

Do  you  seriously  suppose  you  can  pull  the  wool  over  my 
eyes,  or  that  I  sha'n't  see  that  this  charming  woman  is 
your  sweetheart  or  something  of  that  sort,  and  not  a  mere 
cousin  in  the  seventeenth  degree  ?  Now,  I  most  certainly 
have  nothing  against  it  if  you  admire  a  beautiful  Friiu- 
lein  ;  that  is  your  privilege  as  an  artist,  and  besides  you 
are  no  old  beau  with  silver  locks  ;  and  this  woman  could 
almost  steal  my  own  heart  away  if  I  were  a  man.  But 
there  is  something  behind  it  all  in  this  case,  and  you 
need  not  try  to  convince  me  of  the  contrary  ;  and  this 
fondling  and  fussing  over  the  child  has  some  reason. 
Didn't  she  ask  whether  little  Frances  would  like  to  come 
with  her  and  see  all  the  pretty  things  she  had  in  her 
house  ?  Now,  I  know  well  enough,  dear  Jansen,  that  if 
it  were  any  ordinary  attachment  she  would  have  no  wish 
to  entice  to  her  a  child  who  would  jjerpetually  i-emind  her 
admirer  of  his  earlier  relations." 

"  You  have  guessed  the  secret,  my  good  woman,"  an- 
swered Jansen,  as  he  pressed  her  hand  Avith  a  feeling  of 
relief.  "  You  are  as  wise  as  the  day  is  long,  and  would 
steal  the  most  secret  plans  from  the  bosom  of  a  much 
more  skillful  diplomatist  than  I  am.  And  who  has  a  bet- 
ter right  than  you,  dear  friend,  to  know  all  that  concerns 
our  dear  child,  whom  you  have  always  cared  for  with  the 
faithfulness  of  a  mother?  But  now  listen  to  me  quietly. 
It  is  truly  a  strange  story,  and  the  right  way  through  the 
maze  is  not  so  clear.  But,  if  you  only  knew  that  wonder- 
ful being  as  well  as  I  do — " 

And  then  he  began  to  tell  the  history  of  the  last  few 
weeks  to  the  woman,  who  listened  with  great  attention 
to  all  he  said  ;  and  closed  by  saying  that  he  did  not  like 
under  these  circumstances  to  dissua<le  Julie  from  taking 
the  child  to  live  with  her,  especially  when,  in  beginning 


IN    PARADISE.  319 

to  care  for  that  which  was  dearer  to  him  than  all  else  ex- 
cept herself,  she  would  be  giving  him  a  new  proof  of  how 
earnestly  she  desired  his  happiness. 

He  had  grown  so  earnest  over  his  story  that,  when  he 
came  to  an  end,  nothing  seemed  more  natural  and  right 
to  him  than  this  opinion.  He  was,  therefore,  very  much 
amazed  when  the  little  woman  said  to  him,  with  a  doubt- 
ful expression,  and  speaking,  against  her  wont,  very  slow- 
ly and  solemnly  : 

"  You  mustn't  be  offended  with  me,  dear  friend,  but 
if  you  did  this  you  would  make  the  most  foolish  mistake 
it  would  be  possible  for  you  to  make  in  your  position  and 
at  your  age.  There  !  Now  you  know  it,  and  though  it 
may  not  sound  very  polite,  it  is  my  opinion  nevertheless, 
and  most  certainly  my  mother's  also ;  and,  if  you  have 
not  the  heart  to  tell  it,  I  myself  \n\\  say  it  to  the 
beautiful  Fraulein's  face,  with  all  the  love  and  esteem  of 
which  she  may  be  in  every  respect  worthy.  What  ?  I 
am  to  give  up  the  child  to  a  single  woman  with  whom  its 
father  is  in  love  ?  To  a  beautiful  lady  who  never  has 
learned  how  such  a  little  plant  as  this  should  be  watered, 
or  trained  when  it  shows  signs  of  growing  crooked,  or 
how  much  air  and  sunshine  it  needs  ?  " 

"  Of  course  we  should  get  an  experienced  nurse,"  he 
ventured  meekly  to  suggest. 

The  excitable  little  woman,  who  had  become  quite  red 
in  the  face  in  her  zeal,  gave  him  a  side  glance  full  of  pity 
and  reproach. 

*'  So,"  she  said,  "  a  nurse  !  So  you  think,  I  suppose, 
that  this  ought  to  make  me  quite  contented  ?  No  ;  and 
though  you  are  the  own  father  of  the  child  ten  times  over 
and  I  only  the  f osl  er-mother,  still  for  all  that  I  will  take 
the  liberty  of  telling  you  that  you  don't  know  anything 


320  IN    PARADISE. 

about  it,  and  only  talk  as  you  do  because  you  are  blindly 
in  love.  Oh,  my  good  friend,  do  you  tliink  then  that, 
because  I  have  no  right  to  say  :  '  I  will  not  allow  it — I 
will  not  give  up  the  child  that  I  have  long  loved  as  dearly 
as  my  own,'  therefore  I  would  not  fight  hand  and  foot 
if  anything  should  befall  her  that  w^ould  be  as  dangerous 
to  her  as  if  you  should  give  her  brandy  to  drink  ?  Yes, 
you  may  stare  at  me  as  much  as  you  like,  it  is  as  I  say  ! 
A  child  belongs  only  amid  pure  relations — don't  be  angry 
at  the  expression.  What  will  you  say  to  little  Frances 
Avhen  she  asks  whether  the  beautiful  lady  with  whom  she 
lives  is  her  papa's  wife,  because  he  always  kisses  and 
caresses  her  w^hen  be  comes  and  goes,  just  as  her  foster- 
mother's  husband  used  to  do  with  his  wife,  only  perhaps 
even  more  tenderly?  Do  you  imagine  the  dear  little 
thing  hasn't  eyes  in  her  head,  and  very  wise  thoughts 
behind  them  ?  And  no  matter  with  what  propriety  you 
may  act,  there  is  something  not  quite  right  about  the 
whole  matter.  Your  Friiulein  sweetheart  has  her  head 
full  of  other  things  than  what  the  child  needs,  and  won't 
sit  and  talk  and  play  and  learn  with  her  all  day  long,  like 
grandmamma  and  our  other  children.  Tliink  the  matter 
over  again,  and  then  put  the  plan  out  of  your  mind. 
Don't  you  remember  you  have  often  said  to  me  that  you 
would  be  glad  if  you  only  knew  some  way  in  which  to 
repay  me  for  my  love  and  care  for  your  child,  and  I  al- 
w^aj'S  laughed  at  you  for  talking  such  nonsense  ?  But 
to-day  I  do  not  laugh  at  all — to-day  I  tell  you  very  seri- 
ously, if  you  really  think  you  owe  me  anything,  then 
pay  me  by  saying  that  you  will  not  take  the  child  away 
from  me,  but  will  leave  her  here  where  she  is  happy." 

She  extended  both  her  hands  to  him,  which  he  seized 
and  pressed  heartily,  though  still  with  averted  face. 


IN    PARADISE.  321 

"  My  best  friend,"  he  said,  "  you  mean  so  well  by  our 
child—'' 

"  And  by  her  father,  too  ! "  she  eagerly  continued ; 
"  and  even  by  her  father's  beautiful  friend,  with  whom  I 
have  no  need  to  eat  salt  in  order  to  believe  all  the  good 
you  have  said  of  her.  But,  for  that  very  reason  and  be- 
cause we  are  on  this  subject,  do  make  a  hearty  resolve, 
dear  Jansen,  and  procure  the  divorce  now  at  any  price 
and  as  soon  as  possible.  You  see,  I  am  but  a  simple 
woman  and  have  not  seen  much  of  the  world,  but  still  I 
have  seen  enough  to  know  that  even  with  the  best  inten- 
tions everything  can't  go  exactly  according  to  rule  ;  and 
if  you  artists  sometimes  overstep  the  bounds  rather  more 
than  is  necessary,  still  you  are  not  one  of  the  kind  who 
would  do  such  a  thing  merely  out  of  wantonness.  And  I 
know,  too,  why  you  haven't  wanted  things  to  be  any  dif- 
ferent heretofore.  But  now — believe  me,  now  you  owe 
it  to  three  beings  to  provide  a  pure  atmosphere  in  which 
you  can  begin  a  new  life.  And,  though  you  shake  your 
head  even  now,  as  much  as  to  say  it  is  impossible,  believe 
me — " 

The  door  was  suddenly  thrown  open,  and  little  Frances 
came  jumping  in,  holding  a  candied  fruit  in  her  hand,  of 
which  she  had  taken  a  bite,  and  which  she  insisted  upon 
the  little  foster-mother's  tasting  too.  Jansen  took  the 
dear  little  creature  in  his  arms,  pressed  her  passionately 
to  his  breast,  and  kissed  her  bright  eyes.  Then  he  gave 
her  back  to  the  little  wife  and  said,  in  a  voice  choked 
with  emotion  : 

"There,  you  have  her  again  !  God  reward  you  for 
your  kindness  and  good  sense.  We  will  finish  our  talk 
some  other  time." 

He  stepped  into  the  room  again  where  his  two  friends 
21 


332  IN^    PARADISE. 

had  been  waiting,  their  conversation  confined  to  a  rather 
tiresome  attempt  to  make  themselves  understood  by  the 
deaf  old  woman.  Julie  read  in  Jansen's  eyes  that  his 
interview  had  not  met  with  the  desired  success  ;  but,  hard 
as  it  was  for  her  to  relinquish  her  plan  and  not  to  take 
the  child  with  her  at  once,  she  refrained  from  all  hasty 
objections,  and  rested  content  with  the  promise  that  little 
Frances  should  soon  visit  her. 

It  was  only  after  they  were  in  the  carriage  that  Jan- 
sen  informed  her  of  the  objections  raised  by  the  little 
woman.  Julie  listened  in  silence,  with  dowTicast  eyes  and 
burning  cheeks.  Angelica,  on  the  contrary,  attempted, 
in  her  droll  way,  to  protest  against  this  project,  to  which 
she,  as  the  protecting  genius  of  the  two  foolish  lovers, 
had  given  her  consent,  being  considered  so  very  Avild  and 
impracticable.  By  imperceptible  degrees,  however,  she 
passed  from  scolding  the  capricious  little  woman  to  prais- 
ing hei^  maintaining  that  she,  as  a  portrait-painter,  was  a 
sufficiently  good  judge  of  human  nature  to  know  at  once 
what  sort  of  a  character  lay  behind  any  face.  And,  con- 
sequently, she  could  not  help  admitting  that,  if  the  dear 
child  was  not  to  be  with  Julie,  there  was  no  place  in  the 
world  where  it  would  be  better  cared  for  than  in  this 
house. 

Julie  persisted  in  her  silence.  Her  heart  had  grown 
heavy ;  she  began,  for  the  first  time,  to  have  a  presenti- 
ment that  her  great  happiness  was  not  to  be  all  sunshine, 
that  storms  were  lowering  on  the  horizon  which  the  first 
gust  of  wind  might  roll  across  the  sky,  and  cause  to  break 
upon  the  heads  of  herself  and  her  lover. 

END   OF   VOL,    L 


Appletons'  Town  and  Country  Library. 

14.  A    RECOILDTG   VENGEANCK      By  Fbank   Barrett,  author   of 

"  Eis  Helpmate,"  "  The  Great  Hesper."     With  Illnstrations. 

"A  very  pretty,  natural,  aud  refreshing  Btory  is 'A  Recoiling  Yengeance.'  ,  .  . 
Pt  is  a  story  told  in  the  first  person  of  a  8tmgt;le  for  the  inheritance  of  a  wealthy 
lawyer  in  a  country  town,  and  in  its  clearness  and  brightness  reminds  ns  not  a 
little  of  the  manner  of  Anthoay  TroHope." — Londtm  Saturday  Eeview. 

15.  THE  SECRET  OF  FONTAINE-LA-CROIX.     A  Novel.     By  Mar- 

garet Field. 

The  heroine  of  this  story  is  an  Enplishwomsn.bnt  the  events  occur  principally 
in  France.  In  the  main  the  story  is  domeetic  in  character,  affording  some  charm- 
ing pictures  of  life  in  a  French  chateau,  bnt  scenes  in  the  Franco-German  War 
are  also  depicted,  and  the  action  leads  up  to  a  striking  and  most  dramatic 
situation. 

"An  interesting  story  well  told."— CAm/M»  Union. 

"Altogether  a  deljghiful  i^oij .'•" —Philadelphia  Bulletin. 

16.  THE  MASTER  OF  RATHKELLY.     A  Novel.     By  Hawlei  Smart, 

author  of  "A  False  Start,"  "Breezie  Langton,"  etc. 

"The  Master  of  Eathkelly"  is  an  Irish  landlord,  and  the  incidents  of  the 
stoiy  illustrate  the  nature  of  the  present  conflict  in  Ireland  in  a  striking  fflanner. 

17.  DONOVAN :   A  Modern  Englishman.     A  Novel.     By  Esna  Ltall. 

New  cheap  edition.     (In  cloth.     Price,  $1.50.) 

A  cheap  edition  of  "  Donovan  "  has  long  been  called  for  by  those  who  have 
recognized  its  merits,  and  wished  to  see  its  influence  extended.  It  falls  within 
the  range  of  thouiibt  stimulated  by  "Kobert  Elsmere,"  and  books  of  its  class. 

18.  THIS  MORTAL  COIL.     A  Novel.     By  Graxt  Allen. 

"Mr.  Grant  Allen's  is  a  good  story,  a  little  burdened  with  the  constant  effort 
for  a  sparklinar  narrative,  bnt  fairly  true  to  Ufe,  and  speaks  through  its  charae- 
ters."— ?%€  Afhen(mm. 

19.  A  FAIR  EMIGRANT.     By  Rosa  Mttlhollakd,  author  of  "  Marcella 

Grace,"  etc. 

"  The  '  fair  emisrant '  is  a  jonnz  lady  who  returns  to  her  father's  country  for 
the  purpose  of  trying  to  clear  his  name  "from  the  disgrace  of  a  crime  with  which 
be  was  falsely  charged.  .  .  .  A  very  interesting  narrative."— IftfiiSpectaior. 

"  A  capital  novel."- 5«)C«a»an. 

20.  THE  APOSTATE,    A  Novel.     By  Ernest  Dapdet, 

"The  Apostate "  is  a  novel  of  ranch  more  than  ordinary  power,  and  in  a  field 
somewhat  new.  In  morals  it  is  unobjectionable,  and  in  style  noble  and  impress- 
ive.   The  translation  has  been  carefully  done. 


D.  APPLKTON  &  CO.,  Pcblishees,  1,  3,  &  5  Bond  Stbebt,  New  York. 


Applet  ens'  Town  and  Country  Library. 

21.  RALEIGH    WESTGATE;    or,  Epimenides  in  Maine.      By  Hkleh 

Kendrick  Johnson. 

The  time  of  this  story  is  just  before  and  during  tl)e  rebellion,  but  the  reader 
is  carried  back  to  some  curious  episodes  in  the  early  history  of  Maine,  the  tradi- 
tions of  which  supply  part  of  the  material  for  the  plot. 

"  Out  of  the  common  run  of  fiction."— Sostow  Beacon. 

"  Au  atmosphere  of  quaint  humor  pervades  the  \ioo\s..''''— Christian.  Inquirer. 

22.  AKIUS  THE   LIBYAN" :   A  Romance  of  the  Primitive  Church.     A 

new  cheap  edition.     (Also  in  cloth.     Price,  $1.25.) 

"  Portrays  the  life  and  character  of  the  primitive  Christians  with  great  force 
and  vividness  of  imagination."— /Zi2rp«r'5  Magazim. 

"Beside  this  work  most  of  the  so-called  religiooa  novels  fade  into  insignifi- 
cance."—-Sprmg/f^j/of  Republican. 

23.  CONSTANCE,  AND  CALBOT'S  RIVAL.     By  Julian  Hawthorne. 

"  The  reader  will  find  a  fascinating  interest  in  these  stranpe  and  cleverly  told 
stories  which  are  as  ingenious  in  conception  as  they  are  brilliant  in  develop- 
ment."-.Boston  Gazette. 

24.  WE   TWO.     By  Edna  Ltalc,  author  of  "Doiiovan."     New  cheap 

edition.     (Also  in  cloth.     Price,  $1.50.) 

"We  recommend  all  novel  readers  to  treat  this  novel  with  the  care  which 
such  a  strong,  uncommon,  and  thooghtful  book  d emands  and  deserves." — London 
Spectator. 

25.  A  DREAMER  OF  DREAMS.     A  Modern  Romance.     By  the  author 

of  "  Thoth." 

"  Of  an  original  and  artistic  type  .  .  .  near  to  being  a  tremendous  feat  of 
fancy." — Athenecum. 

"  Resembles  its  predecessor  ( '*  Thoth  " )  in  the  weirdness  of  the  plot  and  the 
incisive  brilliance  of  style."- X-oniicm  Literary  World, 

26.  THE  LADIES'  GALLERY.     A  NoveU     By  Justin  McCarthy  and 

Mrs.  Campbell-Praeo. 

"  It  is  interesting  and  racy,  and  abounds  in  clever  sketches  of  character  and 
in  good  situations.  Both  autliors  are,  so  to  speak,  on  tlieir  native  heath.  .  .  , 
Altogether,  the  book  abounds  m  amusement." — London  Guardian. 

"  An  absorbing,  powerful,  and  artistic  work.'" — London  Post. 

27.  THE  REPROACH  OF  ANNESLEY.    By  Maxwell  Grey,  author 

of  "The  Silence  of  Dean  Maitland." 

"  The  Reproach  of  Anneeley "  will  be  welcomed  by  every  reader  of  "  The 
Silence  of  Dean  Maitiand,"  a  novel  that  has  been  pronounced  by  both  BngliBh 
and  American  critics  a  work  possessing  striking  power  and  originality. 

28.  NEAR  TO  HAPPINESS.     A  Novel     Translated  from  the  Frencii 

by  Frank  H.  Potter. 

"  The  plot  is  strong  and  clearly  conetmcted,  and  the  characters  are  sketched 
with  marked  force  and  artistic  skill.  The  era  of  the  incidents  is  that  of  the 
Franco-German  War,  and  the  point  about  which  they  revolve  is  a  tender  love- 
ptory  to  which  a  deep  dramatic  interest  is  imparted."— iSojton  Gazette. 


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